What is Bio-Augmentation?

There are many biological processes that occur in nature on an ongoing basis. These processes require particular conditions for each process to occur – in some instances, for the process to occur at all and then in others for the process to occur optimally. For example, there are some degradation processes that only occur in the presence of oxygen because the bacteria that are responsible for the degradation only exist in an oxygen environment. There are others that only occur in the absence of oxygen.In nature, there are a number of natural degradation cycles that take all organic and related material back to almost elemental conditions i.e. the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the sulphur cycle etc. In each of these cycles, there are specific bacteria that exist only when conditions are right which are responsible for parts of the process.

Also conditions of temperature, pH, presence of trace elements as nutrients, abundance or absence food sources etc are also critical.Man has in many ways interfered with a number of these by adding waste products to the environment from many industrial and domestic processes in inappropriate ways. A good example of this is the operation of normal domestic waste systems. A normal domestic sewage system which takes only human effluent can easily be degraded naturally in a Septic tank and French drain system or package plant. As soon as fats, oils and greases ( FOG’s ) from the cooking process enter the system , the natural balance is upset and the bacteria have to adapt . This adaptation process does occur if and when the conditions are right. The FOG’s are much tougher to degrade and take considerably longer. It does occur that systems become overloaded and that special interventions are necessary to restore the balance.

Bioaugmentation involves the addition of naturally occurring bacteria, enzymes and nutrients which are very specific to the circumstances of the problem. Different problems obviously involve the addition of different bacteria or combinations of bacteria and nutrients. In the example of domestic sewage above, there are combinations of these naturally occurring bacteria that would proliferate if conditions were ideal. When the unhealthy system is augmented by the addition of these specifics, the system is assisted in growing a bacterial colony which will speed up the degradation of the fats, oils and greases. In so doing, the whole system remains healthy and smell free as the FOG’s are consumed by the augmented bacteria as a food source.

There are numerous other examples of where bio-augmentation is of vital assistance to the natural environment in the degradation of man’s damaging impacts e.g. Soil remediation , Chemical Oxygen Demand reduction of Industrial effluent streams before returning to rivers , sludge reduction , assistance in nitrogen and phosphorus removal and many more.

BACTERIA vs ENZYMES

Every living thing produces enzymes. Plants, animals, humans, even bacteria produces enzymes. The human body uses over 5000 enzymes to carry out their activities. A test commonly used to detect heart disease measures enzymes. The major markets for enzymes has been in the preparation of food and beverages. They are also used in pharmaceutical, textile, petroleum, leather, paper and dry cleaning industries. To understand bacterial enzymes it is important to understand enzymes themselves.

What are Bacterial Enzymes?

Bacterial Enzymes are especially cultured bacterial strains designed to degrade organic matter via the production of specific types of enzymes when activated. The production of these specific types of enzymes occurs when the bacterial spores come in contact with their food source.What is a bacterial spore? A bacterial spore is a protein molecule that remains dormant until activated by the introduction of its food source. Once activated, the bacterial spores multiply, then produce specific enzymes which speeds the rate of a chemical reaction. In other words, it acts as a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction, but is not used up by that reaction. An enzyme speeds up the rate of a chemical change, or reaction, but remains unaffected by it.An example of a common enzyme activity in food processing would be in the making of cheese. This process also illustrates the specific action of one enzyme on one, and only one, ingredient in milk. Milk, essentially water, fat and proteins, has renin (an enzyme) added to it. The renin’s specific enzyme action breaks the long chain protein molecules, called casein, into shorter protein molecules. The casein long chain molecules are soluble in water, but the short ones are not. The result is that short chain molecules settle out of the solution. The lumps are the beginning of cheese, the remaining liquid is whey. Where is a mixture of other proteins dissolved in water. The renin has no effect on these proteins (specific enzyme action) but they could be broken down by other enzymes.Each enzymatic reaction would naturally take place within a cell if left on its own, but at a very slow rate. An example is the decay of leaves. If left unaided by enzymes, the leaves would eventually decompose, but at a rate so slow that it would take a very long time.

Bacterial-Enzymes dramatically speed up the rate of this decomposition.Bacterial-Enzymes are capable of producing a wide variety of enzymes-hence, accomplishing the digestion of many different organic substances. Enzymes themselves are specific in nature. Each enzyme is programmed to act on only one specific type of molecule. The way an enzyme works is very much like a lock and key. A key is usually made to fit only one lock. The key can be inserted into many different locks, but nothing will happen. Only when it is used on the specific lockthat it was intended for does the desired result (opening of the lock) occur.The fact that enzymes are specific in the type of molecule they react with, is one of the reasons that enzymes are considered safe to use. Enzymes will not affect anything they were not designed for.Reaction Rate or “How fast do they work”Since bacterial-enzymes acts as a catalyst, its role is to “speed up” or accelerate the speed of a reaction.Each bacterial-enzyme changes one molecule at a time, and remains unchanged itself. The bacterial-enzyme can then move to the next molecule to affect the same change. The reproduction rate at which the bacterial spores can multiply is usually about double in 15 minutes.How fast desired reaction occurs depends on the type of bacterial spores grown to carry out the production of the types enzymes produced and the concentration of the compound to be treated. Recommend dosages are normally more than adequate to handle odor or drain problems. In extreme cases, such as skunk odor, the dosages may be increased to give faster results.Enzymes are classified by the compounds they act upon. The enzymes fall into the following classes:

1. Protease enzymes.................dissolve protein compounds
2. Amylase enzymes................ split starches
3. Lipase enzymes....................attach grease, fats and fat-like substances
4. Cellulase enzymes............... liquefy fiberEnzymes act as catalysts to speed chemical reactions in other compounds while remaining unchanged themselves. Each enzyme acts on a specific type of compound.

Some important things to remember about enzymes/bacterial enzymes:

1. Every living thing produces enzymes.

2. Enzymes act as catalysts to speed the breakdown of organic waste and odor causing molecules.

3. An enzyme not only controls a particular chemical reaction, but it also prevents unacceptable side reactions (such as odors) from occurring.

4. Enzymes are very specific in action. Each enzyme is designed to work on specific types of organic material.

5. Freezing will not necessarily harm bacterial enzymes. They are fully active after thawing. Temperatures above 140F will permanently inactivate the enzymes.

6. Optimum pH range is 6.5-8.57. Enzymes products are nonhazardous. They do not give off odors or toxic fumes. They will not damage pipes or plumbing, or harm humans, pets or plant life, since they contain no acids, caustics, aromatics, or chlorinated solvents.

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