“Probiotic” use of microbes for farm and garden to mimic and supplement Mother Nature

In conjunction with the MOSES Organic Farming Conference 2016, we wanted to share some notes and ideas for you about using microbes on the farm.

Even when a grower or farmer already is taking a deeply holistic and organic approach, we have found there usually are ways that supplementing with beneficial microbes can give incremental tangible benefits and incremental profits.

We like it when we can help you be better prepared for issues that are likely or that you expect, as well as the issues that pop-up unexpectedly, in terms of microbiomes getting a little out of balance. That way, you could handle those issues with more success and ease. And we can do this by mimicking what Mother Nature eventually would do if left to her own devices.

With this approach, we believe that you can realize reduction in odors, better overall animal health, less animal mortality, and a higher quality environment (soil, water and air)… all indicators of a better-balanced local ecosystem. In the process, our intent for you is to also realize the additional tangible benefits of less maintenance costs, increased production and vitality, less time spent on issues and more time for beneficial tasks.

For the Animals:

Chick brooder house

Baby chicks can be highly sensitive to improved habitat, and thrive accordingly. Ammonia odors can be dramatically reduced, mortality rates significantly reduced, and the speed and weight of grow-out significantly improved.Before receiving the baby chicks, the archaea microbes can be added to the litter throughout the brooder house. Or if you already have the chicks and notice ammonia odors, temporarily remove the chicks from the area for easiest application or boosting prior treatments. Because baby chicks are less tolerant of imbalances in their environment, we know the microbes can be exceptionally helpful in this area of operation. 

    Mortality rates decreased by ~50% in this side-by-side controlled experiment case study: http://akayagreen.blogspot.com/2015/12/high-ammonia-levels-poor-air-quality.html

Hens/Roosters/Turkeys overwintering

Before placing the poultry inside for the winter months, the archaea microbes can be added to the litter to prevent ecosystem imbalance/overload, as indicated by the subsequent odors. Microbes could then be added as needed if odors subsequently build up. You would be looking for a decrease in ammonia odor and the need for less frequent carbon lay downs. Also, over time, there can be collateral benefits from the added beneficial microbes, such as an improvement in egg production, less picking on each other, general overall health improvement, etc.

Ducks & Geese overwintering
Since ducks and geese don’t scratch in the same way as chickens, there is less aeration and their area gets mucky. The ‘bad’ microbes start to win out and the odors and ammonia build up. Our microbes can be added to regularly boost beneficial microbial activity during this time.

Pig sheds

The toilet area for the pigs can be treated directly 2-3x per week. The microbes will significantly boost the processing of the waste and ammonia, and a small enough amount can make a noticeable improvement in the odors such that it can be worth it for pigs and people both.  The financial benefit is admittedly more difficult to measure here, and the cost of the microbes vs. measurable benefits to the pigs’ health and quality of environment would have to be determined.

Around the farm:

Wastewater Lagoons

Wastewater and effluent lagoons can be inoculated with the microbes to boost odor elimination and break-down of organics, especially during times/seasons of high use or in the summer when higher temperatures can increase pathogenic microbial activity. The archaea will also take up residence in the slime and muck within the hosing and pump equipment, helping to keep it clear and odor-free. 

Soil remediation, restoration and regeneration

Applications can vary widely here, given the variables. We are happy to discuss with you in more detail, to see if the microbes are an appropriate tool in your situation, and if so to tailor the dosages to the context.

Offal compost

The microbes could help prevent odors here if needed, such as when visitors are expected on your property.

Fuel spills and drips

We recommend keeping small 6 oz shaker bottles of the microbes on hand for diesel, gasoline and other fuel and lubricating oil drips and spills from equipment and around pump/fill stations.

Septic tanks

Our microbe consortium thrives in the challenging and harsh conditions of septic systems. Simply flush a cup down the toilet once every 3 or 4 months (or divide it among multiple toilets that feed to the same septic system). Some powder may stick to the bowl, but should get carried away by the next couple of flushes; or if you want to avoid powder sticking to the bowl, you can mix the microbes in a jar of water before flushing them.

Kitchen drains and drain lines

The microbes love FOG (fats, oils & greases) and you can rinse a teaspoon down the kitchen sink twice a month to colonize and help clean out drain lines.

Water:

Water troughs in coops (or any water troughs that have similar issues)

If green algae is forming, or a white slimy-type substance that builds up in the watering troughs in the coops, the microbes can be added to prevent this build-up – directly to the troughs, and/or into the gravity feed buckets as long as the nipples aren’t clogged by the carrier in our formula. 

Ponds, Lakes or Irrigation Lagoons

Cloudy water is often a sign of nutrient overload and can be a pre-cursor of algae. Our microbe formula rebalances the excess nutrient load toward the goal of preventing toxic algae blooms.

Streams or Rivers

Do you ever have regulatory issues from manure run-off? If so, the microbes could be used to decrease organic content and E. coli and fecal coliform counts in surface waters.

Our blog has a brief write-up of a pertinent case study where a zoo worked with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to address and remediate an E. coli and fecal coliform runoff problem easily and cost-effectively: http://akayagreen.blogspot.com/2015/12/e.html  

Summary

Basically, there are a couple of primary categories where we have demonstrated results with our archaea-based consortium of beneficial microbes:

a) As a preventative to boost beneficial microbial activity during times when imbalance is likely or predicted.

Examples:

1.      in the brooder house litter just prior to new chicks being brought in

2.      applying microbes preventively in hoop house environments at the beginning of the winter months when the poultry and/or animals will be kept together in close quarters

3.      in the wastewater lagoon during processing when it’s receiving larger quantities of organic influent

b) As a treatment to boost beneficial microbial activity when issues pop-up as a result of an unpredicted imbalance. The microbes can be applied as a treatment to areas that develop an issue, often evidenced by odor build-up. By using odors as a gauge for an ecosystem out of balance, the microbes can be applied to restore balance and provide the animals with a healthier, higher quality environment.

There are many variations of beneficial microbe products on the market but none have the hearty, broad-spectrum, thorough, and effective activity that Akaya’s archaea consortium has. With more than 100 species, including aerobic, anaerobic and facultative anaerobic species, it’s been studied (including two peer-reviewed studies), it’s been tested, it’s been used for decades in all sorts of environments, and it's been approved for use; it’s listed on the EPA’s National Contingency Plan Product Schedule (NCPPS) for bioremediation products - only 12 products have been approved for that list. 

Archaea were thought to be bacteria by scientists until the late 1970's, when it was discovered that there are significant differences, and thus an entire new Third Domain was formed. Compared to bacteria, enzymes and fungi, which are the much more common bioremediation tools, the archaea are much more broad-spectrum and hardy. Archaea tolerate a wide range of temperature, pH, salinity and oxygenation.

All of Akaya’s products are safe for use around your co-workers, flora and fauna, aquatic and on land. They are non-pathogenic, non-GMO,  and 100% naturally cultivated. And it’s proven. We know it works.

Nature figured it out billions of years ago. Applying this knowledge to a wide variety of industrial and environmental settings just makes sense.

- 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.  He's also a treatment-free bee steward and a micro-farmer if you count the raised beds and pastured girls.

                                                                                       
Keys: #MOSES2016, Water Quality, Wastewater Treatment, Livestock, Agriculture, Equestrian, Poultry, #Riverkeeper, #Waterkeeper, #Baykeeper, #Waterquality, #Cleanwater, Waste water

Ammonia spike in the STP or WWTP?

Ammonia spike in the STP / WWTP?
Recently, a plant supervisor called us about a major ammonia spike in their sewage treatment plant. This client has been using the microbes successfully for a few years for their lift stations. They used to have a big problem with FOG accumulation, and now they rarely need pump-outs and have not needed full cleanouts since they started with us. But unrelated to the lift stations, they suddenly were experiencing a huge spike in ammonia levels in the plant for unknown reasons.

The client was quite happy to learn that the same archaea-based microbe formula thrives on ammonia, and would bring the ammonia levels down rapidly and get the process back in parameters. A cheap, fast and easy solution to what could have been a much bigger problem.

Our biological wastewater treatment formulas are archaea-based, which means they are effective at far colder temperatures than most bacteria-based products. As a quick trivia sidenote, archaea have been found quite happily living deep in permanently frozen Antarctic ice.

The archaea-based consortium very effectively controls odors, eliminates FOG accumulation in collection infrastructure, reduces H2S build-up, and enhances (rather than disrupts) the efficiency of downstream treatment systems and processes. Basically, nature figured it out billions of years ago. Applying this knowledge to a wide variety of industrial and environmental settings just makes sense.

If you have a question about whether Akaya's biological wastewater treatment products might be helpful for you, please give us a call or email.


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

Keys: Wastewater Treatment Plant, Waste Water Treatment Plant, Sewage Treatment Plant, Agriculture, Wastewater Lagoons, Waste Lagoons, Sewer Collection Systems, Wastewater Collection Infrastructure, Utility Infrastructure, Biological Wastewater Treatment Products, Beneficial Microorganisms, Beneficial Microbes, COD Reduction, Wastewater Treatment Odors, Bioaugmentation

“What is the best disinfectant and odor suppressant for a sewage system?” someone asked

May we start by saying that “disinfecting” a sewer system can be extremely counterproductive, and can actually result in far more severe odor problems. A properly designed and functioning sewage system should not smell, and there are products you can use to supplement and improve the performance of your system.

The primary source of odors typically is hydrogen sulphide – that “rotten egg” raw sewage smell – and one way to dramatically reduce or eliminate that is by actively boosting the beneficial microbe activity. The best way to do that depends on the type of sewage system (e.g. septic tanks and fields, cesspools, municipal collection systems, ship or boat or camper holding tanks, etc.) It also is important to note that corrosion rates on the equipment and system are likely to be much more damaging when hydrogen sulfide is allowed to build up. So the odor is just part of the harmful side-effects of a poorly performing sewage system.

For example, for a sewer access point (a “manhole” for example) where a noticeable smell is noxious, a system maintenance worker can spray a “probiotic” solution of microbes into the hole, and the smell should almost instantly dissipate. The microbes attach to airborne molecules, to the walls and surfaces where waste has accumulated, and onto the surface of the solid and liquid waste in the sewer or cesspool. The microbes break down and metabolize the waste at the molecular level, converting it to benign byproducts that don’t have the bad odour.

Fats, oils and grease (FOG) and other solidified waste will take a longer time to remediate, as will a larger volume of liquid waste, but once the microbial colony is established, it can continue to work for weeks or months as long as the basic requirements are met (water, a “food” source, and other environmental conditions suitable for the microbes).

A homeowner can safely do the same thing (probiotic additive) on their own system and property, since at least some products marketed are safe for use around people, plants and animals, such as the archaea-based formula that Akaya uses. Akaya’s beneficial microbe products come in bulk powder form, as well as in tablet form for easy use in septic tanks, toilets and sinks. The microbes “eat” the kitchen fats and grease that accumulate in drain lines and pipes, and the sewage waste that can accumulate over time in waste pipes, instead of simply moving chunks of it downstream to the sewage collection system.

Most types of sewage treatment systems exist for the purpose of breaking down waste at the molecular level, so using a disinfectant would be counterproductive, and would disrupt or stop the beneficial microbial activity that you want happening. A disinfectant can be appropriate to use on exposed toilet surfaces, and other places sewage has splashed or spilled, but you wouldn’t want to dump a gallon of chlorine down your toilet thinking your sewage collection system is going to smell better.

For similar reasons, more wastewater treatment professionals and sewage treatment plant operators are realizing that there are very harmful side-effects and “collateral damage” that comes with using conventional chemical treatments such as hydrogen peroxide, which kills all microbial activity, good and bad. Chemical products that break up or emulsify fats, oils and grease are simply moving the problem further downstream, which can still be a problem if the same person needs to deal with it solidifying somewhere else. Solving the problem at the source can be much preferred to simply moving the problem, especially if you are still responsible for the “somewhere else”.

And the default conventional response of dumping in chemicals also can be quite expensive, whereas plant operators can enjoy a significant net cost savings from using the archaea-based formula, due to the collateral benefits of improved plant processes and effluent quality, and decreased electricity and sludge hauling costs. Homeowners enjoy a net cost savings by having fewer maintenance problems, and a longer time between pump-outs being necessary.

Clearly I work for Akaya, but there are innumerable “green” bioremediation products available from other manufacturers, including bacteria, enzyme and fungi-based products. Akaya primarily works with an archaea-based consortium of more than 100 types of beneficial microbes that are 100% non-GMO, and over decades of use have been demonstrated to be non-pathogenic and safe for use around people, plants and animals, both aquatic and on land.

Additional case study examples and specifics are outlined in other summaries on this blog; and FAQs and more information is available on our website: www.akaya.co.

Basically, nature figured it out billions of years ago. Applying this knowledge to a wide variety of industrial and environmental settings just makes sense.


- 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. 

6 proven and cost-effective uses of archaea in wastewater treatment plants and infrastructure 

Archaea beneficial microbes occur naturally on the earth to break down organic waste, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they work well in sewage and wastewater treatment. They are hardy, broad-spectrum and unlike chemical products leave no collateral damage to the plant. They also result in higher quality effluent to surface waters.

Here are six tested and proven ways the archaea beneficial microbes work:

1) Odor problems: Sprayed into manholes and wet wells where neighbors are complaining about odors, archaea microbes mixed with water and sprayed or fogged into access points creates nearly instant elimination of hydrogen sulfide odors. Plus the archaea also settle onto vertical surfaces to metabolize and eliminate noxious accumulation.

2) Ammonia spike reduction: An archaea-based beneficial microbe consortium has demonstrated rapid and dramatic effect in bringing ammonia levels down in WWTP/STP tanks.

3) Process boosts: Secondary and tertiary treatment is all about creating optimum conditions for natural microbial activity, so it only makes sense that we can use “probiotics” to enhance and supercharge the processes. Decreased BOD and COD, decreased TSS, and significantly lower levels of nitrogen and fecal coliforms all can be achieved by the addition of small amounts of concentrated microbes at the right points in the flow.

4) FOG cap elimination and prevention of build-up in wet wells and lift stations. Typically, a combination of added archaea and aggressive aeration can quickly break up even the thickest, hardest, driest FOG cap, and without causing major problems downstream. Products that break up grease into chunks can simply clog or jam equipment, and chemicals can create the need to restart plant processes. And if you have more time, archaea can metabolize FOG caps at the molecular level over days or weeks, instead of simply moving oils and grease downstream.

5) Significant savings from reduced sludge and less electrical utility usage: Case studies indicate a 25-30% reduction in accumulated sludge volume, with significant monetary savings on electrical usage and process times as well as sludge processing and hauling costs. 

6) Hydrogen sulfide reduction and corrosion reduction: Odors and maintenance work are a hassle, but premature equipment and infrastructure failure can be a nightmare with massive budget and capex impact. Archaea seeded at upstream points in the collection system are the most cost-efficient way of minimizing excess hydrogen sulfide build up and the corrosion side-effects on equipment and infrastructure.

One of our favorite client stories is a municipality where the guys now use a tattered paper cup from their local coffee chain to toss some microbes into each of several lift stations once or twice a week for the last few years. They used to have to pump out each of the stations 6 or 7 times a year, often including sending a person down the well to break up and shovel out a grease cap thick enough to stand on.

In addition to unobstructed float switches and pumps, they said the odor complaints have been dramatically reduced as well, and that the rate of corrosion damage has been lower too. Plus there’s no added electrical usage from additional installed equipment. No pumps or spray bars or other additives. The labor factor is not an issue either, because even with SCADA input, they still would be periodically on site visiting the lift stations, so the incremental time is literally seconds to toss in fresh beneficial microbes while the crew are there.

Significant net-savings attained. Proven to enhance existing processes. Reduced manual labor and oversight hassle. Effective and cost-efficient product. That’s the benefit of putting trillions of microbes to work with each scoop of powder tossed in. It just makes sense.

- 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. 

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