BOC's improve environmental waste treatment in a number of critical maintenance and processing areas. Key attributes that make BOC's uniquely attractive are its ability to elevate the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in solution, regardless of aeration technique; ability to solubilise the molecular structure of organic wastes, including the insoluble fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) components; eliminating chronic and dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as ammonia and H2S gases; and the ability to enhance biological nitrogen removal (BNR) systems.

Sewers: Maintaining aerobic environments within collection systems is essential to avoid chronic service problems and dangerous conditions due to hazardous gases, which are also the source of most public complaints. Eliminating slime layers and FOG clogging are excellent maintenance applications for BOC's. They can also be used to increase dissolved oxygen levels within gravity and forced mains, as well as other aerobically compromised parts of the system.

Aeration Systems: BOC's has been shown to make a substantial improvement in aeration systems through raising dissolved oxygen levels, increasing gas transfer rates, and improving bioprocesses. Improving aeration system performance can lower energy requirements (up to 30%), along with acting as a method for maintaining higher dissolved oxygen (DO) levels during heavier loading periods, which provides operators with a means to better manage optimum microbiological activities.

Sludge Processing: Processing of bio-solids can be substantially improved with addition of BOC's. Sludge volumes have been significantly reduced (up to 40%) while methane production quantities were maintained in full-scale applications. Subsequent treatment and handling of bio-solids can be improved due to reduction in odour and better bio-processing of the bacterial components.

BOC's are highly concentrated, completely non-toxic liquid formulation, which are either injected directly into wastewater streams or deployed through spray or fogging systems. It is complimentary to virtually all microbiological systems and chemical purification processes and contributes to the enhancement of these operations. Able to work in conjunction with oxidizing agents, BOC's can substantially reduce the amount of oxidizing agents needed to perform purification requirements, and aid in improving removal of bio-films, which is critical to eliminating pathogen growth and the fouling of filters and membranes.

Delivery Systems:

Metering Pumps: Generally, it is recommended injection of BOCs, with a metering pump, directly into the wastewater stream. Dosage rates are based both upon the flow volumes and organic contaminate (BOD) loading level. For elimination of FOG clogging, BOCs can be injected into sewers at wet wells or other access points.

Injection System: Reduction of ammonia VOCs or wastewater discharges can be substantially improved through injection of BOC into waste stream or sludge transport system.

Air Diffusion Systems: To enhance aeration processing, injection of BOC is made directly into an air diffusion system, at a dosage rate calculated by the flow rate or rate required to meet on-going performance levels. Increased dissolved oxygen levels have been known to be possible through increasing the dosage rates of BOC.

Municipal wastewater operators are faced with multiple challenges, juxtaposed between regulatory compliance, adequate carrying capacities and operating costs. Each of these areas can be favourably impacted by the use of BOCs. The cost/benefit correlation of using BOCs versus other alternatives can be quite compelling.

Regulatory Compliance: Increased regulatory discharge levels require operators to evaluate the most cost effective approach to achieving maximum reduction in discharges. BOCs help by addressing bio-processing optimization of existing facilities and therefore are exceptionally cost effective.

System Capacity: Total bio-processing loading can be improved through use of BOCs in certain key areas. Sewer systems can be both alleviated of chronic FOG congestion and deployed as "pre-treatment" components where higher aerobic microbiological conditions are created to reduce the total organic load to plant.

Operating Costs: Numerous elements of system costs can be lowered through use of BOCs. Studies show that aeration requirements, along with bio-solids processing costs, can be reduced by approx. one third. Many chronic maintenance procedures can be eliminated and personnel deployment savings, along with the worker health risks and public complaints, which are tied to these problems.

The potential of using BOCs to improve nitrification processes is promising due to the oxygen demand required for oxidation of ammonia to nitrate. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosomonas) obtain their energy by oxidizing ammonia nitrogen to nitrite nitrogen and the nitrite oxidizing bacteria (Nitrobacter) by oxidizing nitrite to nitrate nitrogen.

The oxygen demand for complete nitrification is high as nitrifiers are aerobic and adequate dissolved oxygen levels must be maintained to sustain nitrification. BOC's has been shown to increase dissolved oxygen levels and lowering the transition of energy required for a catalytic reaction to occur.

The Company has also conducted test programs on the addition of a BOC prior to sludge dewatering for ammonia reduction. These studies showed:

• Reduction of Ammonia concentrations: In the filtrate was reduced 45% to 66% from its untreated level after a contact time with the BOC of between 2 and 3 minutes.
• Ammonia odour reduction: The filter press operator stated that during the trial, the Odour from the filter press was significantly reduced (75%).