23 April 2021
Mother nature has spent millions of years crafting the ultimate cleaning solution… bioremediation.
Bioremediation is the naturally occurring process that micro-organisms utilise, to breakdown potentially harmful substances such as petroleum hydrocarbons (crude oil), into less toxic substances, such as water and carbon dioxide.
Bioremediation in Action
From oil saturated soil in the Amazon Rainforest to offshore oil drilling accidents, the cleaning power of bioremediation is unmistakable.
Historically and in the present day, humans use this naturally-occurring process extensively to assist with some of the worst man-made oil disasters in history.
The Amazon Rainforest has been plagued for decades by waste crude oil spills, damaging animal ecosystems, with contaminated water sources and unfertile soil. Although surface contaminants can be removed, it’s extremely difficult to remove saturated oils from under the soil.
Scientists identified bioremediation as a solution; using local fungi and bacteria, to “eat” the oil which has long remained an environmental issue.
According to the scientists involved (Brown, 2020), bioremediation is “much more friendly and environmentally sustainable” than other cleaning methods.
Far from land, the power of bioremediation is also felt in oil-drilling clean-ups, such as the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill, which is the largest recorded spill in history.
In 2010, a rig explosion caused over “130 million gallons” (Smithsonian Ocean, 2018) of oil to cover the Gulf of Mexico.
In the clean-up operation, “substances that emulsified the oil” (Britannica, 2021) were distributed, to allow bioremediating bacteria to effectively metabolise the otherwise unreachable spill sections.
Industry Applications
The scientists at Rozone have long valued the environmental benefits and cleaning power of bioremediation, to support parts washing customers with their oily and dirty parts used in industrial engineering, automotive, aerospace, bike, plant hire and many more and varied sectors.
Bioremediation is used within parts washing machines such as the ROwasher, to help reduce the use of solvent-based cleaners. This is the first-ever UK designed and manufactured parts washing machine that uses local suppliers and experts, to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
Oil and dirt present on automotive, industrial or bike components is effectively metabolised by bioremediating micro-organisms, keeping cleaning fluid cleaner for longer, without the use of solvent alternatives.
The microbes involved with bioremediation in parts washers are safe for use by technicians, reducing the health and safety concerns present with alternative cleaning solutions.
At Rozone, we believe the best cleaning solutions are natural, sustainable and microscopic.
For more information on how bioremediation can help your industry reduce solvent use, call our experts on 0121 526 8181.
Brown, K., 2020. How to clear the oil spills of the Amazon rainforest. [online] BBC.com. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200316-cleaning-up-the-oil-spills-of-the-amazon-rainforest> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
Britannica, 2021. Deepwater Horizon oil spill - Cleanup efforts. [online] Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/event/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-spill/Cleanup-efforts> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
Smithsonian Ocean, 2018. Gulf Oil Spill. [online] Smithsonian Ocean. Available at: <https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/pollution/gulf-oil-spill#:~:text=Over%20the%20course%20of%2087,accidental%20ocean%20spill%20in%20history.> [Accessed 20 April 2021].