Analytical Lab Aerotech P&K to Offer Advanced Bioremediation Technology from Regenesis
Under a recently signed agreement, Aerotech P&K, a leading U.S. analytical laboratory, has licensed Regenesis’ Bio-Dechlor CENSUS(SM) technology. This state-of-the-art genetic test is used to determine the presence of Dehalococcoides bacteria in the environment. It was developed for use at contaminated groundwater sites where these bacteria, if present in sufficient quantity, are able to biodegrade a wide range of potentially harmful chlorinated contaminants. Regenesis has made the Bio-Dechlor CENSUS test commercially available, through Aerotech P&K, for use at contaminated sites throughout the U.S., as well as the Dehalococcoides bioaugmentation product Bio-Dechlor INOCULUM™. The technology was developed by Regenesis scientists in collaboration with researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology led by Dr. Frank Loeffler. The isolation of the detoxifying bacteria was cited by Discover magazine as no. 28 on its list of “100 Top Science Stories” for 2003.
Chlorinated compounds such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were widely used for decades by dry cleaners and in industrial and military settings for stripping, cleaning and degreasing operations. As a result, these persistent chemicals and their toxic breakdown products, such as dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), now contaminate soil and drinking water supplies at many sites around the globe.
These contaminants are difficult to remove with conventional soil and groundwater cleanup techniques. In many cases, however, environmental engineers can now “bioremediate” these sites by simply applying a culture of Dehalococcoides bacteria (DHC) in conjunction with food sources such as Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®) to the subsurface using direct-injection techniques. The specialized bacteria flourish in the presence of HRC and feast upon the chlorinated compounds, converting them to harmless end products such as ethene or ethane.
Bio-Dechlor CENSUS is a DNA-based test procedure which signals the presence and quantity of Dehalococcoides at a site. The technology, which is provided by specialized laboratories in the environmental industry, includes a process termed “real-time PCR” (polymerase chain reaction). The DNA amplification step is actually quantified with a fluorescent signal, indicating the number of target microbes in a sample.
Going one step further, the genes that actually code for the key enzymes involved in the contaminant degradation process can also be identified through the Bio-Dechlor CENSUS package. These kinds of data enable environmental engineers to quickly determine if a contaminated site contains enough of the right kind of naturally occurring bacteria to result in natural biodegradation, and if not, to reliably monitor the success of augmentation with Bio-Dechlor INOCULUM™.
Diane Miskowski, P&K Aerotech’s Business Development Manager, said, “With the capability to quantify anaerobes, hydrocarbon degrading, and Dehalococcoides bacteria, our team can now offer expanded microbial and chemical analytical services to our clients, providing bioremediation engineering services nationwide. The quantification of Dehalococcoides bacteria and the specific identification of their key genes are beneficial in the design, management and closure strategies for over 100,000 contaminated sites.”
About Regenesis
Incorporated in 1994, San Clemente, CA-based Regenesis ( www.regenesis.com ) is the world’s leading developer and distributor of products used for in situ treatment of contaminated sites through accelerated bioremediation. Other Regenesis products include Oxygen Release Compound (ORC®) and ORC Advanced™ for remediation of aerobically degradable hydrocarbons; Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC®), for treatment of anaerobically degradable compounds; Hydrogen Release Compound, Extended Release Formula (HRC-X™; patent pending) for long-term treatment of residual source areas and DNAPLs; and Metals Remediation Compound (MRC™) for removal of dissolved metals from groundwater. For further information, or to arrange a free evaluation for the use of any Regenesis product at their contaminated site, readers are invited to contact Mr. Bryan W. Vigue at 949-366-8000
About Aerotech P&K
Aerotech P&K ( www.aerotechpk.com ) was formed in 2004 by the teaming of two leading environmental analytical laboratories, New Jersey-based P&K Microbiology Services, Inc. (Cherry Hill, NJ), the premier environmental microbiology laboratory, and Aerotech Laboratories, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ), which had recently been acquired by Severn Trent Laboratories (STL). Buffalo, NY-based STL is recognized as the country’s leading environmental testing company, with laboratories in the United States and the United Kingdom receiving samples from all over the world. STL’s U.S. operations include more than 50 environmental testing laboratories, service centers, and QED Environmental Systems, a leading manufacturer supplier of air-powered pumping systems, equipment used for groundwater sampling, and low-flow purging and sampling methodology systems such as Well Wizard™.
