TechLink : Environmental Technologies : Oregon Company and Army Corps of Engineers Team Up for Bioremediation Research

November 8, 2000

BOZEMAN, Mon. - Monitoring field persistence of introduced microorganisms and evaluating their relationships with contaminants in soil is the focus of a research agreement between Enzyme Technologies, Inc. (ETEC) of Portland, Ore., and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH. The agreement, facilitated by the MSU TechLink Center in Bozeman, Mont., and the CRREL Office of Research and Technology Applications, will enable ETEC and CRREL to evaluate emerging techniques for monitoring changes in the community structure of soil microorganisms following the application of bioremediation products.

Bioremediation, the use of microorganisms to clean up contaminated sites, has grown in popularity as a safe and effective way to remediate many contaminants. Many military bases and industrial sites require cleanup and restoration before they can be safely used again. One of CRREL¹s missions is to develop cost-effective restoration techniques for contaminated military bases, particularly those in cold regions, where treatment costs are higher due to remote locations and shorter summer seasons that cause conventional techniques to be impractical.

³Our new generation of in situ technology is becoming the technology of choice for soil and/or groundwater contaminated sites,² said William Weinstein, ETEC vice president. ³Our mission is to develop natural, scientifically advanced biological products and practical, effective application systems. Teaming our trademark BioBox with the brainpower of CRREL should accelerate our ability to effectively clean up contamination.²

The BioBox is a specially designed oxygenation unit capable of boosting dissolved oxygen levels in groundwater by four times that of standard air injection methods. When used in conjunction with ETEC¹s proprietary biological products, the BioBox performs rapid subsurface bioremediation.

Enzyme Technologies is the premier bioremediation company in the United States today. It was formed in 1991 in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, where company founders acquired and developed new technology to increase the effectiveness of bacteria that degrade petroleum. After successfully applying the technology to sites contaminated with gasoline, diesel, and other heavy oil compounds, the company broadened its product line to include clean up of MTBE, PAHs, and many other organic contaminants.

For the research project with CRREL, ETEC will apply one or more of its new bioremediation products to the contaminated site. CRREL will monitor the process, using monitoring techniques that allows scientists to observe and record detailed information about changes in the ecology of microorganisms in the soil and groundwater. The results are expected to lead to a better understanding of how bioremediation products work and how they might be improved or made more efficient.

This agreement is the first partnership that MSU TechLink has established between an Oregon company and a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) research center. TechLink is funded by DoD to link companies in the Northwest with DoD centers for joint research and technology transfer. Its overriding purpose is to contribute to the success of technology-based industries in the region.