Page 87: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1994)

"BWT" Converts Fuel

Spillage In Bilge To

Biodegradable Components

Neozyme International, Inc. has introduced Bilge Water Treatment (BWT), an enzyme-based product which converts organic hydrocar- bon contamination (such as an acci- dental fuel oil spill into bilge water) into its original biodegradable com- ponents. BWT is distributed na- tionwide by Northstar of

Farmingdale, N.Y.

BWT is a biocatalytic system de- signed to safely, effectively and in- expensively solve contaminated bilge and ballast water problems, helping to reduce or eliminate bur- densome fees and penalties.

Advantages Of BWT

Decomposes Organic Fuels.

When combined with fresh or salt water and oxygen, the product will cause crude oil, jet fuel, diesel oil and other organic substances to rapidly decompose, eventually bio- degrading them to carbon dioxide and water as end products. The product is reportedly stable and non-toxic to humans, animals, ma- rine and plant life, as well as 100 percent biodegradable.

Reduces Fire Risk. According to the company, the product is also designed to help reduce the risk of shipboard fire, as hydrocarbon con- taminated bilge and ballast water represents a serious fire hazard.

Also, the product will reportedly reduce fire hazard by increasing flashpoints and auto-ignition threshold points in substances such as gasoline or fuel oil.

Non-Bacterial. BWT is a non- bacterial enzyme, not a bio-engi- neered biological, and has no po- tential mutations.

It works by increasing the num- ber of hydrocarbon-consuming mi- crobes until the hydrocarbon con- tent is reduced to desired levels.

No Noxious Odor. Neozyme's

BWT reportedly eliminates noxious odors associated with crude oil, pe- troleum derivatives and other or- ganic molecules that are proceed- ing through the natural decompos- ing process.

Chemically Speaking

BWT accelerates the natural deg- radation process by breaking down different molecular structures, such as hydrocarbons, so that the result- ant fatty acids are presented to microbes in a more easily digestible form.

Those microbes more disposed to eating hydrocarbons will become dominant and spread until the hy- drocarbon contaminants are re- duced to non-hazardous levels.

Then the large numbers of hydro- carbon-digesting microbes deplete for lack of nutrition.

The enzyme quotient of the for- mula accomplishes its objective through catalyzing, hydrolyzing, cleaving, oxidizing, molecular re- arranging or oxidative coupling — depending on the mechanism re- quired. 5 o

June, 1994 R

The fat, oil and grease elements of the hydrocarbon molecules are hy- drolyzed initially by the lipase es- terase class of enzymes in the prod- uct into fatty acids and glycerol.

Glycerol is further broken down by other enzymes, and the end point of the reactions are carbon dioxide, water and simple salts.

Independent laboratory studies reportedly demonstrated the ability of BWT to achieve a 96 percent re- duction in Jet-A, Diesel-2, and heavy duty lube oil within 96 hours.

Generally, one gallon of BWT is used for each gallon of petroleum contaminant for lightly contami- nated bilges, with more BWT re- quired per gallon of more highly contaminated bilge.

For more information on BWT from Northstar,

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