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| 26. What are Biosafety Classifications? |
| Biosafety class 1 is the designation for well-characterized agents not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans, and of minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment. Special containment equipment or facility design is not required nor generally used. Strains used in Alken Clear-Flo, Enz-Odor and Treat-A-Loo are all classified in Biosafety class 1. |
| Biosafety class 2 is the designation for agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and the environment. Examples are: hepatitis, mumps, measles, influenza, diphtheria, and AIDS. It differs in that (1) laboratory personnel must have specific training in handling pathogenic agents and are directed by competent scientists, (2) access to the laboratory must be limited when work is being conducted, (3) extreme precautions must be taken with contaminated sharp items, and (4) certain procedures in which infectious aerosols or splashes may be created must be conducted in biological safety cabinets or other physical containment equipment. |
| Biosafety level 3 is the designation for indigenous or exotic agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by the inhalation route. Examples include the "street virus" Rabies, and Yellow fever. Laboratory personnel must have specific training in handling pathogenic and potentially lethal agents, and must be supervised by competent scientists who are experienced in working with these agents. All procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials must be conducted within biological safety cabinets or other physical containment devices, or by personnel wearing appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment. The laboratory must have special engineering and design features. |
| Biosafety class 4 is the designation for dangerous and exotic agents which pose a high individual risk of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections and life-threatening disease. Members of the laboratory staff are required to have specific and thorough training in handling extremely hazardous infectious agents; and must understand the primary and secondary containment functions of the standard and special practices, the containment equipment, and the laboratory design characteristics. They must be supervised by competent scientists who are trained and experienced in working with these agents. Access to the laboratory must be strictly controlled by the laboratory director. The facility is either in a separate building or in a controlled area within a building, which is completely isolated from all other areas of the building. The Biosafety Level 4 laboratory must have special engineering and design features to prevent microorganisms from being disseminated into the environment. |
| 27. Are All Alken-Murray microbial strains classified as "Biosafety Level 1"? |
| Yes. Alken-Murray only uses the safest natural environmental isolates in its products. |
| 28. What nutrient balance is needed to degrade COD or BOD in different applications? |
Aquatic applications, general waste treatment and anaerobic lagoons require a certain minimum nutrient balance for microbes to degrade the COD or BOD present. If the ammonia exceeds the level necessary for co-metabolism, then nitrifiers (contained in CF 1100, 1200, 1400, and 7110) may be added to handle the balance. If the phosphorus exceeds the level needed for co-metabolism, chemical binding, such as with dolomitic limestone, reverse osmosis or other means of filtration, may be required.
Hydrocarbon remediation applications rarely have enough nitrogen and phosphorus present, so these must be added in proper proportion for the bacteria to co-metabolize them with the hydrocarbon waste. The level of nutrient supplementation must be precisely determined or pollution may be caused by excess nitrate or phosphate escaping into the environment. Alken-Murray includes a nitrification inhibitor in Bio-Nutrient 4, so that the chance of nitrate runoff is eliminated, while maintaining the level of available ammonia needed by the bacteria.
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