Petrox is used to improve the performance of industrial and commercial oil-water separators by degrading dissolved-phase oil. The treatment goal is to reduce the TPH concentration to below discharge limits to avoid fines, surcharges and potential discontinuation of service. The Petrox organisms may be introduced into the collection and treatment system at any point, but are usually added to the collection or equalization sump for longer contact time. In most cases, the dissolved phase total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is reduced by 50% to 90% in a manner of days.
For example, at a large city municipal Petrox reduced the TPH discharge from 25.9 to 7.40 mg/L in three days. At smaller retail oil-change centers the reduction was from 278 mg/L TPH to 14.1 mg/L TPH in 21 days. The biological treatment is maintained by adding a gallon of Petrox to the sump weekly.
The cost for maintaining discharge compliance at these applications is $125 per month.
