Special DISCOUNT - Alken® Treatment 479 We still have a supply of 16 x 5 gallon pails of ALKEN® TREATMENT 479, offered for $45.00 per pail. Alken® Treatment 479 is a liquid 31% concentrate of sodium hydroxide, primarily intended to stabilize cooling tower and boiler pH in the proper range to maintain good corrosion control. Alternate applications include: increasing the pH in lakes/ponds with acidic waters, so that higher bacterial activity can remediate more rapidly and neutralizing acidic industrial or municipal wastes prior to discharge. New Chemical Product - Alken® 895 Alken® 895 contains sodium nitrate and is prescribed to assist the Alken Clear-Flo® and Alken Enz-Odor® bacterial formulas to eliminate hydrogen sulfide from collection systems, manure waste pits, lift stations and lagoons. This product will also help to eliminate corrosion from the formation of sulfuric acid in anaerobic waste systems. Alken® 895 should be maintained at a concentration of 10 to 100 ppm in the system, which works out to approximately 0.5 to 5 lbs. per 6000 gallons of waste or wastewater.
We apologize to our Hawaiian clients that we have so far been unable to locate bacterial strains capable of degrading these substances from among the lists of Conditionally Approved Microorganisms, approved in 1994 by the Hawaiian Agriculture Department. Alken Clear-Flo® 7006 and Alken Clear-Flo® 7019 are therefore unavailable to clients in the state of Hawaii. We have been informed that the Agricultural import review board will meet in the year 2004, at which time we plan to present an assortment of the newer and/or reclassified organisms for their review. Nitrosomonas europaea Currently Not on the Hawaiian Conditionally Approved Microorganisms List Attention Hawaiian fish farmers: we have located a strain of Arthrobacter agilis which can substitute for our commonly used strain of Nitrosomonas europaea, to oxidize ammonia into nitrite. The substitute strain is pre-approved by the Hawaiian Agriculture Department and compliments Nitrobacter winogradskyl, which converts nitrite to nitrate, completing the cycle. This strain is available in our CF 1200 and CF 1400 products. Nitrosomonas europaea is more than 3,000 times as powerful as Arthrobacter agilis, so the doses of a total product, containing this strain, are higher than with our usual blend. If the intended application for this strain was its anaerobic denitrifying capacity, one of the two strains of Bacillus licheniformis is an acceptable substitute. Unfortunately, we have not yet discovered a strain, from the Hawaiian pre-approved list, that will replace the Dimethyl ether degrading talents of N. europaea. FLASH: Your editor just spoke with Ms. Amy Higa of the Hawaiian Agriculture Department, and she offered the news that Nitrosomonas europaea WILL be added to the Conditionally Approved List of Microorganisms later in 1999, so Hawaiians can soon enjoy our best lake/pond/aquaculture formulations, too. New Waste Pit Product in Development Alken Enz-Odor® 5 is being designed for use in waste pits, to balance the nutritive values of animal manure so that when it is used as fertilizer, more of the nutrients will be taken up by plants, decreasing the excess nitrogen and phosphorous runoff that pollutes rivers, streams and lakes. This product will also oxidize any hydrogen sulfide that has formed in the system and prevent any additional formation of this deadly gas while significantly reducing all odors in the system. We began working on this formula when we discovered that many pig and chicken producers, in particular, do not have lagoon systems and do not want to build them. This additive will be easier to use for waste pits than our currently offered CF 7000, although that product will still be the premier confinement area and lagoon treatment. We still think our recirculating double lagoon system, described in our tutorial Bio-Info 2, is the most ideal treatment option for the future, but this new product will help those producers who cannot afford the cost of designing a totally new waste treatment system or those who lack the required land space for a double lagoon system. Article on the Use of Oil Skimmers and Bioremediation An article entitled The Scoop on Skimmers, by Bob Thibodeau, on pages 10 and 12 of the November 1998 issue of Environmental Protection magazine, discusses the advantage of using skimming devices in combination with other equipment and bioremediation for a more efficient total remediation system for a reasonable cost increase. Subscribe to Environmental Protection Magazine at P.O. Box 712, Mount Morris, Illinois 61054-0712. Super Article on Options for Land Bioremediation Pages 30 through 34 of the November 1998 issue of Environmental Protection magazine, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of bioremediation in an article titled Best Bioremediation Picks by Brian L. Clark, PE. See above paragraph for information on obtaining this magazine. What is REDOX Potential and Why is it Measured? REDOX potential (or ORP) is a measurement of the level of biological reductions/oxidations. The sediment in the bottom of a lake, sludge in a sewerage works or septic tank will have very low redox potential and will likely be devoid of any oxygen. This sludge or waste water will have a very high concentration of reductive anaerobic bacteria, indeed the bulk of the organic matter may in fact be bacteria. As the concentration of oxygen increases the oxidation potential of the water will increase. A low redox potential or small amount of oxygen is toxic to anaerobic bacteria, therefore as the concentration of oxygen and redox potential increases the bacterial population changes from reductive anaerobic bacteria to oxidative aerobic bacteria. Since desirable bacteria produce enzymes that mediate electron transfer, oxidizing undesirable substances, such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, an increase in REDOX potential should serve as an easy measurement of the desired biological activity. To Accurately Compare Concentration, Convert to the Same Units A number of our competitors attempt to create the illusion of more highly concentrated products by referring to the total count per gallon instead of the total count per milliliter as we do. To compare these products fairly, divide the count per gallon by 3785 to obtain an accurate count per milliliter. Are Copies REALLY The Most Sincere Form of Flattery? Cascade Water Services has apparently duplicated the wording found in some of the old Alken-Murray product bulletins. A few of our clients were confused by the similarity and asked us to present a comparison of these products with ours. Desiring to please our clients, we have complied with this request below. Cascade Water Services, Hicksville, New York Cascade Bio-Klear 100 is claimed to contain 3 strains of Bacillus with a count of 2 billion CFU per gram. This product appears to be a direct knock-off of the older formula for CF 1000. A number of other competitors have copied our older formula for this product too. Alken-Murray's newer formulation (1997) for CF 1000 offers the same count, but the Alken-Murray reformulation has 4 strains of Bacillus. The dosage recommended for the Cascade product is 1 to 5 lbs. per million gallons, with a higher initial dose in a dirty pond. CF 1000 recommends 0.5 lbs. for the initial dose in a 1 million-gallon pond, followed by 0.25 lb. per week for 3 weeks, maintained with 0.25 lb. every two weeks thereafter. The difference in dosages suggests that the Cascade product is less effective, even if the count they claim appears to be equal. Cascade Bio-Klear 110 and 115 are claimed to contain pure nitrifiers for aquaculture and wastewater, respectively, while boldly advertising a "count" of 37 billion per gal and 40 billion per gallon, respectively. Since pure nitrifiers will NOT grow on Standard Plate Count agar or Standard Methods Agar, these products could only achieve the listed count if they include regular waste degrading strains or have a shockingly high level of contamination. The product bulletin for BK 115 states that BOD should be reduced by 70 to 80% prior to application of this product. This is an interesting statement because even the most active nitrifiers, such as those used by Alken-Murray Corporation, are incapable of functioning properly until the level of BOD is below 200 ppm, therefore this appears to be an admission by Cascade that their waste degrading products cannot adequately perform in a system with an initial BOD higher than 670 ppm. In contrast, Alken-Murray Corporation has remediated industrial systems with initial BOD levels well above 10,000 ppm, decreasing BOD to 200 ppm before beginning nitrification of any ammonia not utilized in the digestion of the higher BOD. Cascade Bio-Klear 120, 130 and 135 are claimed to contain a count of 120 billion per gallon, which equals 32 million CFU/ml. Cascade's literature does not offer any distinguishing characteristics between these three products. All claim to contain two strains of nitrifiers and an unlisted number of waste degrading strains of the same concentration. We have been told BK 120 has been promoted as a knock-off of Alken Clear-Flo 1200. Since CF 1200 has a liquid count of 500 million CFU/ml, it is 15 times more concentrated than these Cascade products. (This does not consider the count supplied by the dry supplement included with the Alken-Murray product.) The recommended dosage for the Cascade product is 0.5 to 5 gallons per million gallons of water, with a higher initial dose mentioned, but not specified. Alken Clear-Flo 1200 is applied on a non-linear scale, in which larger water bodies use lower concentrations than smaller ones. The CF 1200 initial dose for 1 million gallons of water is 2 gallons, followed by 1 gallon per week for 3 weeks and 0.5 gallon per week, used for maintenance. Cascade Bio-Klear 140 is claimed to contain a total count of 90 billion CFU/gal, which equals 24 million CFU/ml. This product is claimed to contain 3 strains of organic-degrading bacteria and two strains of nitrifiers and purports to be ideal for seeding biofilters. These claims resemble Alken-Murray's older formula for CF 1400. Since Alken-Murray reformulated CF 1400, in 1997, as a fish, shrimp, and egg transport product, the two products are not similar. For biofilter seeding, Alken-Murray recommends CF 1200, more than 20 times as concentrated as BK 140. Cascade Bio-Klear 145's product bulletin lists a total count of 1 billion CFU/gram and is claimed to be designed for use in decorative ponds and fountains. Our research has demonstrated that small decorative ponds and fountains actually require a higher dose per volume than larger installations, so we do not offer a diluted product for this application. The lowest concentration dry product we offer is CF 1000 with 2 billion CFU/gram. We are further puzzled that the product bulletin for this product boasts that it does not produce hydrogen sulfide, since this gas is only produced by obligate anaerobes, such as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, in an anaerobic environment. Packaging obligate anaerobes, such as D. desulfuricans, is exceedingly difficult and expensive, since any contact with air is lethal to them. So, it is impossible for a hydrogen sulfide FORMING strain to be ACCIDENTALLY included in any commercial bacterial product. This is like bragging that a specific granulated sugar product is "fat-free", when no pure sugar product ever contained fat, anyway! Don't bother reminding me that the food industry is frequently guilty of touting the obvious as something special, I already know, but it is still inappropriate. Cascade Bio-Klear 400 (dry grease digester), a dry product that contains 8 strains of bacteria, a surfactant and a count of 2 billion CFU/gm. This appears to be a knock-off of CF 4000, with similar claims for count and number of strains, however the Cascade product recommends a dosage that is 7 times higher than the Alken-Murray product, from which it derives its name. Cascade Bio-Klear 410 (liquid grease digester) claims 6 strains of bacteria and a count of 50 billion CFU per gallon, which equals 1.3 million CFU per ml. CF 4100 offers 6 strains and a count of 50 million CFU per ml, so the Alken-Murray product is 38 times more concentrated than the Cascade product. Cascade Bio-Klear 600 is an odor and grease control liquid with 3 strains of Bacillus and a count of 200 billion per gallon or 53 million CFU/ml, which is approximately comparable to the original Alken Enz-Odor with 54 million CFU/ml. This product is claimed to operate over a very wide temperature range of 45 degrees F to 175 degrees F vs. the original Enz-Odor's range of 45 degrees F to 115 degrees F. Perhaps the Cascade product uses strains which are more thermophilic, although their product bulletin does not suggest an application that would require this feature. Cascade Kleenall appears to copy an old product bulletin for the original Alken Enz-Odor, but it lists a count of "2 x 10 CFU/ml", which is 20 CFU/ml, around the same count you could expect from background contamination in unsterilized plain water. I imagine that the product bulletin I received contains a typographical error, but it is impossible to compare claims under this circumstance. Cascade's Bio-Klear 700 is claimed to contain bacteria and crude enzymes with a count of 3 billion CFU/gram. The count is similar to Alken Clear-Flo 7000 and the directions for confinement areas are similar to CF 7000. The Alken-Murray product is authorized for use in USDA certified establishments, while the Cascade product does not make this claim. Cascade's directions for lagoons appear to assume that all lagoons are the same size, offering only one dosage for all. Cascade's dosage for septic tanks, cesspools and drain fields is double Alken-Murray's dosage. Cascade also offers its product for anaerobic digesters, activated sludge systems and trickling filters. Cascade also sells this formula for hydrocarbon remediation. If this product contains a general blend that will properly handle manure and general waste, it cannot contain a high enough percentage of hydrocarbon strains to rapidly degrade hydrocarbon spills, nor can it contain enough fatty acid-forming strains to seed an anaerobic digester, without the application of huge quantities of products. A corollary situation occurs with general multivitamins, which contain zinc and vitamin C. If a person has a cold and wishes to take large doses of Vitamin C and zinc, an overdose of many unneeded vitamins in a multivitamin pill would have to be wasted to reach the required levels, whereas a specialized tablet can be small and overall less expensive per dose. Alken-Murray offers specialized formulas in addition to general purpose formulas, so that our clients may select the most beneficial and economical formula(s) for their system. Cascade's Bio-Klear 710 is claimed to be a specialized hydrocarbon degrader, with a count of 4 billion CFU/gram as compared with Alken Clear-Flo 7026 with a total count of 5 billion CFU/gram-Murray. A 25% greater quantity of Cascade's product is required to equal the count of Alken-Murray's product. Cascade's Bio-Klear 719 is claimed to be a liquid cyanide degrader with a count of 13 million CFU/ml. This may be a knock-off of CF 7009, which we discontinued in late 1996 because there was not enough interest to keep this formula on the books. We can easily custom-blend CF 7002 and CF 7008 with our cyanide degrading strain, Bacillus megaterium de Bary, for those few situations which require the elimination of free cyanide, such as in a coke plant. A liquid product containing suitable strains is more difficult to stabilize and costs more to ship to foreign clients, so Alken-Murray does not offer a liquid for cyanide oxidation. Cascade's Klear-A-Loo, a blue liquid product, is claimed to contain 26 million CFU/ml, with a cherry fragrance and a one-year shelf-life. A lot of the information on their product bulletin appears to be a direct knock-off of our bulletin for Alken® Treat-A-Loo™, with the exception that our product has a count of 81 million CFU/ml. Alken® Treat-A-Loo is therefore more than 3 times more concentrated than Cascade's Klear-A-Loo. The Cascade product does not mention any of the additional ingredients added by Alken-Murray in 1997 to make our product more effective, such as Yucca schidigera and special accelerators. Cascade does not offer products that claim to be comparable to ANY of the following Alken-Murray formulas: CF 1001, 5 billion CFU/gram, 12 strains, cold temperature lake/pond treatment; CF 1002, SOLUBLE dry product, 3 strains of Bacillus, a count of 10 billion CFU/gram; Alken-Murray's Cyanobacteria/filamentous organism supplementary treatment for lakes and ponds; CF 4002, SOLUBLE grease/waste digester CF 4003, fish-safe, surfactant-free formula containing 8 strains of bacteria, a count of 4 billion CFU/gram, for fats, oils & grease control in industrial or lake/pond applications; CF 4004 with 9 strains of bacteria, surfactant, nutrients, alternate electron acceptor and a count of 4 billion CFU/gram for lift stations, large hotel grease traps, sump pumps and wet wells; CF 7002, phenol degrader; CF 7004, detergent degrader; CF 7005, lignin degrader; CF 7006, MEK, MIK and acetone degrader; CF 7014, composting aid; CF 7018, cold weather industrial product; CF 7019, PAH pre-digester; CF 7020, anaerobic digester aid; CF 7030, ethylene glycol degrader; Enz-Odor 2, handles grease and odors including hydrogen sulfide, with 200 million CFU per ml; Enz-Odor 3, contains revolutionary odor-binding ingredient and a count of 40 million CFU per ml; Enz-Odor 4, unique talcum based dry formula, odor-binding ingredient, total count of 500 million CFU per gram; Enz-Odor 5, dry waste pit odor control with nutrient balancing capability. Enz-Odor 8 or 26, for hydrogen sulfide and other serious odors in a variety of municipal and industrial applications in warm or cold temperatures.
We did observe the prominent notice that no warranty is made for the performance of these products in any specific application! Cascade AGB-1 is claimed to include 260 million CFU/ml of Bacillus chitinosporous, producing an enzyme which degrades insect skeletons, nematode eggs, fungal cell walls and shrimp and crab skeletons. There may be some advantage to using Cascade's AGB-3, which is claimed to contain 260 million CFU/ml of Bacillus laterosporus, to stimulate plant growth and improve plant resistance to pathogens. Other companies have combined strains of Bacillus laterosporus with Bacillus subtilis, which are listed in Cascade's AGB-3 and AGB-5, as part of a dietary supplement for animals, to improve digestion and decrease the number of undesirable strains in the intestinal tract. We are puzzled that Cascade finds it necessary to add molasses or glucose to activate this formula, since it is relatively simple to include the requisite nutrients and micro-nutrients in a Bacillus liquid formula. Cascade's AGB-2 with 260 million CFU/ml of Bacillus uniflagellatus, Cascade's AGB-4 with 260 million CFU/ml of Bacillus pumilus and Cascade's AGB-5 with 260 million CFU/ml of Bacillus subtilis, claim to directly inhibit mold and fungus growth. These products do not claim to merely compete for the same nutrients, as Alken-Murray products do, but to directly produce antimicrobial substances. When we researched data on Bacillus uniflagellatus, we discovered that this particular strain name is a specific subspecies of Bacillus subtilis which was deposited at ATCC to support various patents for its application as a pesticide, whether applied in the ground or sprayed onto seeds prior to planting. If the Cascade product is a licensed version of this strain, or a similar one, it should carry information on pesticide sub-registration. In fact, since Cascade AGB 2, 4 & 5 claim fungicidal attributes, they should be registered as pesticides. A search of the US EPA pesticide database does not reveal any of the Cascade bacterial products, in fact it does not reveal any chemical biocides registered in their name either. We also wonder if Cascade has considered that some strains of fungi are non-pathogenic and useful waste degraders,* just as some strains of bacteria are useful. If the Cascade products exercise exclusivity in their toxin production, such information is not available from their product bulletins or from the patents. *Alken-Murray Employs Useful Fungii To Break Down Cellulose Alken-Murray has successfully employed the fungus, Trichoderma reesei, for its thermophilic ability to produce cellulase, which breaks down old hay, grass clippings, wood cuttings, etc. Alken-Murray also utilizes Trichoderma viridae Persoon, another excellent cellulase producer; Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, a natural strain of yeast, isolated from garden soil in Virginia for the ability to degrade acylanilide pesticides and aromatic compounds; another strain of Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, isolated in Canada for its cellulase activity; Aspergillus oryzae, selected for its capacity to produce fibrinolytic enzymes; and Saccharomyces cerevesiae, a natural isolate from wild yeast on Concord grapes for its rapid ability to digest fruits and vegetables. These strains work synergistically with Alken-Murray's bacterial strains in composting and manure liquefaction (CF 7014 and CF 8000). If the activity of such strains is inhibited in the soil, the nutrients that are available to plants will be decreased, requiring the addition of predigested or chemical fertilizer to compensate, while still leaving a lot of undigested cellulosic and fibrinolytic material lying around on the fields. NitroMax Aquarium Nitrifier The only information we have so far located on this product is that a single-dose treatment for 385 gallons of aquarium costs $17.00. In contrast, Alken Clear-Flo® 1100, sold in 2 oz bottles for $6.00, allows 3 treatments of the same volume. Assuming that this company offers quality nitrifiers, the cost of using their product for startup is almost three times more expensive than startup with CF 1100.
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