E. coli and faecal coliform runoff from zoo’s bison and elephants

When E. coli and fecal coliform counts were found elevated in a brook running through the local zoo and public park land in the city center, something had to be done. And when the waterway continued into a nearby public river and on to the bay, fixing the problem was all the more of a priority.

Working with the state DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), the zoo personnel narrowed in on sources like fecal matter runoff from the bison and elephant habitats, especially after heavy rainfall. They also discovered that some of the pollution sources were from further upstream, causing water quality issues before the water even reached zoo property.

Initial seeding doses of a bioremediation and biorestoration product were used to build up the levels of waste-metabolizing microbes. The archaea-based formula they chose has been used for more than 25-years, and it repeatedly has been shown to have zero pathogenic properties. In addition, it does not colonize and overtake the indigenous, established beneficial microbe community. Even in ideal conditions with a continuous food supply of contaminants for the beneficial microbes, you still will need to reapply, with any one dosage shown to last only about 3 or 4 months.

If we think of the parallel to probiotics we would take to rebalance our gut microbiome after it’s been thrown out of whack by the latest attack of gastroenteritis, just 5 or 10 years ago only a small proportion of doctors routinely were prescribing probiotics to their patients. But now it’s a common refrain after a course of antibiotics and other GI-tract disruptions. The probiotics provide a temporary boost to the body’s ability to rebalance the gut microbiome back to healthy functional parameters. But a week or two later if you binge on a fast food diet or go crazy with the Halloween candy, you’ll likely need to mind your microbes with a swig of kefir or cup of yogurt.

As for the zoo, as the months went by, they successfully were able to transition to smaller maintenance doses of the beneficial microbes, and they recorded dramatically-reduced E. coli and coliform pathogen counts, even after heavy rainfall events. The brook has been restored to a more healthy natural environment, and the bioremediation techniques were deemed a resounding success.

- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil. 

Keys: Water Quality, Wastewater Treatment, Sewage Spill, Livestock, Agriculture, Equestrian, #Riverkeeper, #Waterkeeper, #Baykeeper

Odors in your barn, coop or animal bedding?

PRODUCT INFO sheet for:

Akaya ST for Farm and Animal Care

Akaya ST contains beneficial microbes that eat animal and sewage waste. The formula is designed to break up and eliminate fats, oils, and grease (FOG), and to metabolize ammonia and sewage at the molecular level. This results in minimizing annoying odors at the source, reducing the frequency of bedding replacement, and improving soil and water quality in the surrounding environment.

• Used in stalls and bedding, coops and pens – anywhere there’s urine and feces or other waste.

• Eliminates odors.

• Eats ammonia, sewage and organic waste.

• Reduces E.coli and coliform bacteria levels.

• Controls algae by correcting the imbalance of nutrients in ponds and surface waters.

• All-natural, non-toxic, non-pathogenic, and non-GMO.

Microbes are nature’s way of recycling organic materials. Our beneficial microbial products work in harmony to supplement this natural process. Basically, they act like a probiotic for the environment, cost-efficient and highly effective.

How it Works

Our archaea-based formula digests the the organics present in the solid and liquid waste and the ammonia in urine. The by-products of this remediation process are simple elements such as water, carbon dioxide and harmless essential fatty acids which in fact are food for plants, fish and other small organisms. 

Harsh chemical disinfectants and chemical deodorizers simply mask odors temporarily, but do nothing to solve the root of the problem. Akaya ST powder is an archaea-based consortium of beneficial microbes, highly-concentrated and activated by water. Our formula has been listed on the U.S. EPA’s National Contingency Product Plan Schedule (NCPPS) since 1991. Unlike bacteria, enzymes and fungi, our archaea tolerate a range of harsh environmental conditions and will degrade a wide variety of contaminants. 

It works great on oil spills too. The microbes eat petroleum hydrocarbons. So in addition to the bucket in the barn, we recommend having a small shaker of the Akaya powder in your tool cabinet, next to the duct tape. One of the benefits of our product is that “a teaspoon or a ton” can be used depending on your needs.

Where It’s Used
• Equestrian centers use it regularly in stables.

• It’s great for poultry coops, sheep and goat sheds, rabbit hutches, etc.

• When a poultry operation tested it in the litter underfoot in sections of the grow house, the birds congregated in the areas where the microbes had been used, and the odors were significantly lower.

For more unusual or complicated use questions, just give us a call. We have users applying the formula in:

• Zoos for bison and elephant pastures to reduce odors and to eliminate high E. coli and fecal coliform counts in nearby streams and rivers due to runoff.

• Zoo water habitats like penguin rocks and seal pools.

• Fish ponds and coastal ponds where it controls nutrient levels and eliminates toxic algae blooms.

How to Use the Product

For stalls, coops and animal bedding, the best time to apply the product is when the straw or whatever bedding you are using is swapped out for fresh material. That way, the microbes have a chance to grow their population along with the fresh food source getting subsequently added. Dosage and application method can be tailored to your needs. The formula will not harm vegetation, concrete, asphalt, wood, metal, fiberglass and other construction materials, and is safe for use around humans, plants and animals, on land and aquatic.

Sizes and Packaging

Akaya ST comes in three strengths: ST-5, ST-20, and ST-100, at 5 billion, 20 billion, and 100 billion microbes per gram, respectively. Stronger is not always better, and our team can work with you to determine the best solution for your application setting. The powder is packaged in 6 oz and 3 lb shakers, 25 lb buckets, bags from ¼ lb to 100 lbs, and barrels or other containers customized for high-volume users.

Please contact Akaya with any questions you have.

#agriculture #farm #animalwelfare #animalwellbeing #equestrian #livestock #animalwellness #poultry

Even three WWII destroyer engines couldn’t keep up with six inches of FOG accumulating every few days

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Quincy used to have a pump station wet well that would accumulate
6-inches or more of grease every few days. The lift station was an open pit, running three WWII destroyer engines. The F.O.G. (fats, oil and grease) cap would become several feet thick, requiring physical removal by hand shoveling into vacuum hoses and high pressure jetting. In just four weeks of starting to use an archaea-based consortium of beneficial microbes, the insoluble FOG was converted to water soluble fatty acids, and the entire wet well ended up clean, including grates, piping, bricks and target. The pit was never cleaned again until a new station was built at Quincy Point, making the old one obsolete and decommissioned.

FOG and odor control, and significant net savings and operating efficiencies gained by using archaea beneficial microbes
In another town nearby to Quincy, there are three different lift stations that used to require frequent expensive and laborious pump-outs and clean-outs, with FOG caps disrupting and disabling float switches and pumps, and solids caps accumulating on the surface. Since they started using the archaea-based consortium about 3 years ago, they have saved 7 or 8 pump-outs per year at each of 3 different wet wells. Weekly maintenance is as simple as tossing a scoop of the beneficial microbes into each lift station.

Wastewater treatment success depends on carefully managed microbial communities
Modern secondary treatment plants are designed, engineered and operated to provide an enhanced microbiome for naturally occurring microbes to thrive in their role of breaking down waste. All too often though, we overlook the opportunity to augment and intensify that microbial efficiency by adding carefully selected supplemental microbes. Like probiotics for the wastewater treatment system, they can eliminate F.O.G., save significant maintenance and electrical utility costs, more easily enable exceeding effluent standards, and significantly reduce odors in the process.

Why specifically Archaea?
Archaea are a type of microbe much more rugged and hardy than bacteria or enzymes, and have an exquisite ability to tackle a broad spectrum of contaminants in an ample variety of operating environments. They thrive in a wider range of temperature, pH and salinity and are especially suited to extreme environments. This makes them particularly appropriate to the harsh conditions of sewer treatment operations. They are the oldest microbes and have no known pathogenic species.

Where do I find Archaea-based microbes for use in sewage treatment?
Boston-based Akaya offers a proprietary archaea-based consortium that has been used for more than 25-years, is 100% non-GMO, and is safe for use around people, plants and animals. The formula can be used on open water and on land. With a 5-year shelf-life, it’s a powerful tool to have on hand for routine maintenance and to optimize operating levels, as well as to enable operators to respond to spills and illegal dumping events (e.g. frack fluid, brine, cooking oils).

The product cost is modest, and almost all of the operators who have tried it experienced a significant net savings as a result. Call Akaya today and see the results yourself.


- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil.

#wastewatertreatment #sewage #watertreatment 

#sewagetreatmentplant#sewagetreatmentequipment 

#wastewatertreatment #waterquality #infrastructure 

Savings on sludge hauling and electrical consumption, while also getting rid of odors

We wanted to share case study notes on a wastewater treatment plant where their throughput flow remained relatively constant for two years during which they used our archaea-based consortium and measured a 25% decrease in sludge. Just the savings from the decrease in hauling costs for the sludge waste far exceeded the cost of the beneficial microbe product. The time and effort involved in the product application process was minimal, and the side benefit they realized was reducing the odors at the plant to almost nothing, which delighted their residential neighbors as well. They also achieved higher levels of oxygen that allowed for reduced run time on the rotors, saving money on electrical consumption.

Why specifically Archaea?
Archaea have an exquisite ability to remediate a broad spectrum of contaminants. They are the oldest and hardiest microbes and have no known human pathogenic species. The archaea are safe for use around people, plants and animals, aquatic and on land.  Unlike the more common bacteria or enzyme-based agents, archaea can tackle tough remediation applications in more challenging and extreme conditions. With a five-year shelf life, Akaya’s archaea-based formula is a powerful tool to have on hand for routine maintenance and to optimize operating levels, as well as to enable operators to respond to dumping events and spills.

Modern secondary treatment plants are designed, engineered and operated to provide an enhanced microbiome for naturally occurring microbes to thrive in their role of breaking down waste. All too often, though, we overlook the opportunity to augment and intensify that microbial efficiency by adding carefully selected supplemental microbes. Like probiotics for the wastewater treatment system, they can eliminate FOG, save significant maintenance and electrical utility costs, more easily enable exceeding effluent standards, and significantly reduce odors in the process.

- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil.

#wastewatertreatment #sewage #watertreatment 

#sewagetreatmentplant #sewagetreatmentequipment 

#wastewatertreatment #waterquality #infrastructure 

High ammonia levels, poor air quality, and high mortality rates in a poultry house

An experimental study was done using an archaea-based formula of beneficial microbes in a Maryland chicken house prior to release of the new chicks. The product was spread in a dry powder form in the litter in one section of the house. During grow-out, the farmer noticed significantly less ammonia in the air in that section, and the chickens also tended to congregate in the area that had been seeded with the microbes.

After about 4 weeks, litter samples were taken both from the area where the archaea consortium was used, as well as from an adjacent untreated chicken house with chickens of the same age, and litter of the same type of shavings.

Parameter	Results (mg/Kg) Without Microbes	Results (mg/Kg) With Microbes
Nitrogen, Ammonia	6,600	3,900
Nitrogen, Nitrate	1,000	53
Nitrogen, Nitrite	310	20
Nitrogen, Total Kjeldahl	6,500	4,400
Phosphorus, Total	3,000	2,100
Phosphate, Total	9,200	6,400
TCLP Phosphorus, Total	360	140
(RCRA Hazardous Waste Characterization) (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) (TCLP)

The lab tests showed significant differences in both the nitrogen and the leaching characteristics of the phosphorus. The reduction in ammonia also resulted in improved poultry health, with mortality rates decreased by about 50% and grow-out times reduced as well, both resulting in increased total production.

Clearly there is a net monetary gain to be had from the faster grow out and improved vitality, while at the same time benefiting animal welfare.

- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil.

#agriculture #farm #poultry #livestock #animalwelfare #animalwellbeing
#animalwellness 

Cost savings and regulatory compliance attained, plus gaining a 4-year extension before infrastructure upgrades were required

We wanted to share case study notes on a community that had a small activated sludge facility which happened to be located at one of the highest points in the topography, entailing a number of lift stations in the infrastructure to pump sewerage to the plant. The lift stations were perennially plagued by FOG (fats, oils, grease) and had mechanical malfunctions, severe odor problems, and accelerated corrosion issues as a direct result. The wet wells also experienced frequent overflow events (SSOs), making them extremely high-maintenance and costly. Hydrogen sulfide levels were leading to destruction of pump controls, metal parts, ladders, covers and concrete structures. The grease reaching the treatment plant caused excessive floatation in the clarifier and high BOD effluent, and effluent standards routinely were not meeting state discharge requirements. Engineers had been treating with ferric chloride and peroxide without success.

By treating lift stations weekly with just 4 ounces of our archaea-based formula, fats, oils and grease build up was eliminated and odor significantly reduced. Excess hydrogen sulfide generation ceased, the influent BOD levels dropped from 250 to 125, the clarifier began to function properly, and the state effluent standards were achieved. In subsequent years with ongoing maintenance use of the microbes, BOD levels in influent dropped to just 5, with hydrogen sulphide and ammonia eliminated, and lift station maintenance drastically reduced. Despite a more than 6-fold increase during the period of use of the microbes, which also was a 6-fold increase in gpd volume beyond its designed capacity, the plant continued to operate smoothly and meet state effluent standards. The timeline on building a new treatment plant was able to be delayed by four additional years because of the greater efficiencies attained.

Why specifically Archaea?
Modern secondary treatment plants are designed, engineered and operated to provide an enhanced microbiome for naturally occurring microbes to thrive in their role of breaking down waste. All too often, though, we overlook the opportunity to augment and intensify that microbial efficiency by adding carefully selected supplemental microbes.

Like probiotics for the wastewater treatment system, they can eliminate F.O.G., save significant maintenance and electrical utility costs, substantially decrease corrosion rates, more easily enable exceeding effluent standards, and significantly reduce odors in the process.

Archaea have an exquisite ability to remediate a broad spectrum of contaminants. They are the oldest and hardiest microbes and have no known human pathogenic species. The archaea are safe for use around people, plants and animals, aquatic and on land.  Unlike the more common bacteria or enzyme-based agents, archaea can tackle tough remediation applications in more challenging and extreme conditions. 

With a five-year shelf life, the archaea-based formula is a powerful tool to have on hand for routine maintenance and to optimize operating levels, as well as to enable operators to respond to dumping events and spills.

- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil.

#sewagetreatmentplant #wastewatertreatment #wastewater
#wastewatertreatment #watertreatment #sewagetreatmentequipment
#waterquality #infrastructure