Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Process of utilizing an enzyme or micro-organism to destroy...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2002-09-17
Beisner, William H. (Department: 1744)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Process of utilizing an enzyme or micro-organism to destroy...
C435S177000, C435S262500, C435S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06451585
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a product and method for pre-emptive potential in remediation of oil spills. The invention is more particularly concerned with methods for both installing such a product into a body of petroleum at the wellhead source, in a pipeline or a cargo hold or storage tank, or at some other step as desired during the process of bringing the petroleum from its source to market, before a spill occurs, and recovering said product if a spill does not occur. The product embodying the present invention consists of a novel capsule, coated pellet, (The term “pellet”) herein also refers to spheres, irrespective of the various techniques utilized to produce said pellet or sphere, or capsule) or pod, any of which may incorporate a time releasant formulation and which also contain micro-organisms capable of consuming hydrocarbon materials, which micro-organisms are released when the capsule or pellet is exposed to an aqueous environment. The product may also contain magnetic or paramagnetic or other materials which may affect the density of the capsule or pellet and also provide for its recoverability.
1. The Field of Invention
Oil spills have become disastrous to the environment. Such spills are generally treated through physical containment of the spilled oil and removal, using mechanical techniques, such as containment rings and vacuum removal systems. Other means for treating such spills include direct application to the spill of dispersants and application of bioremediation agents, such as aerobic micro-organisms, enzymes and nutrients. These methodologies have been used with varying degrees of effectiveness, depending upon many variables, such as the size and depth of the spill, as well as its location and accessibility, the speed with which it develops and travels, the configuration of the spill, whether the spill is at the surface or submerged in the water, the environmental risk to land and sea life, including wildlife, the turbulence of the waters containing the spill, as well as many other factors and considerations. Limited success in adequately dealing with such spills evidences the need for a product and method for dealing with an oil spill promptly, irrespective of its location, configuration and accessibility, with minimum disruption to the environment, in an economical manner, and through use of a universal system which is not dependent upon the variables of the spill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of bioremediation of oil spills is well known in the prior art. For example, Gatt et al teaches treating oil spills with dispersants by applying liposomes to water for forming a monomolecular layer of phospholipid molecules which break up layers of oil into droplets taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,574, and to enhance biodegradation of organic wastes by increasing the availability for enhanced bacterial interaction as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,413. Gatt et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,112 also suggests a composition for enhancing such biodegradation of organic wastes.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,661 and 4,415,662 Thurumalachar et al suggests degradation of land or seaborne spills by use of microorganisms or enzymes, or with the use of carriers or detergents, without deleterious effect. Guttag et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,490 teaches a process of subjecting microorganism susceptible material to a microorganism, with controlled time or quick release bioremediating agents. Cunningham U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,376 discloses controlled release microbe nutrients and a method for bioremediation through the use of such enhanced organisms. DiTuro (in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,943) and Felix (in U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,845) have provided timed-release coated tablets and the like for biological degradation of organic material which dissolve over time when placed in an aqueous environment.
Other prior art patents of interest pertinent to the subject of this application are McKinney et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,517, Marconi et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,042,495 and 4,087,356, and Schlaemus et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,803.
These patents relate to the treatment of oil spills with dispersants and microorganisms, as contained in oil insoluble and water soluble capsule or pellet forms. Such dispersants are usually intended to keep the dispersant on the surface of the oil spill, and all of them deal with materials which are applied after the spill occurs. None have any means for recovery of the materials capable of treating an oil spill but which have not actually been called into use for that purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention adds pre-emption, reclamation and reuse, not taught by the prior art. Additionally, the invention uses anaerobic micro-organisms (such as vibrio desulfuricants) for remediation of submerged petroleum products, which anaerobes result in an overall exponential increase in speed of remediation, and also adds versatility to the art of remediation as applied to the inadvertent release of petroleum products into an aqueous environment during transport or storage, or to an intentional release of oil products, which also requires remediation.
The use of such anaerobic micro-organisms offers bioremediation to those petroleum products which sink below the surface of the water, and often to the floor of the sea, where known application techniques for remediation do not reach submerged oil spills.
Pre-emption is achieved by incorporating within the petroleum products, before a spill occurs, remediating agents contained in capsules, coated pellets, or pods having cores of varying densities. Such agents are inert and inactive when encapsulated or within the coated pellets, but are activated when not in the encapsulated environment. These encapsulated or pelletized agents are preferably dispersed throughout a body of petroleum. The capsules or pellets may be installed into the petroleum (The terms “petroleum”, “petroleum product”, and “petroleum mass” are synonymous with one another unless otherwise indicated) at the wellhead or in a pipeline, in a cargo hold, at a refinery or at any desired location during the processing and transport or storage of the petroleum product.
Preferably, these capsules or pellets are reclaimable when not activated and may be reused. Such reclamation may be accomplished through magnetic (utilizing either ferromagnetic, diamagnetic or paramagnetic materials, or a combination of some or all of them) separation, centrifugation, filtration, electrostatic or ionic precipitation, vaporization, or heat or vacuum distillation or a combination of such techniques. The capsules or pellets may be constructed to permit ease of reclamation and reuse.
Capsules or pellets with a core containing micro-organisms, surrounded by time dissolvable layers of nutrients and other enhancements, may be compounded using prior art skills and formulations. Such capsules, pellets, or pods of varying sizes and/or densities, so as to embody the present invention, may also be novelly compounded to include iron or other compound [within either the capsule, pellet, or pod core and/or their surrounding (encapsulating) material or coating (pellet)], so as to permit the capsules, pellets, or pods to be varied in density, preferably to approximate the density of the petroleum product in which they are placed, and to encourage their removal from a body of petroleum by the techniques described above, when desired. The capsule, pellet or pod may also be sprayed with an aqueous soluble electrostatically charged material, or marked with material having magnetic, electrostatic, or electro-conductive properties. The core or encapsulating material or coating may also be either fabricated with gas bubbles, or contain evacuated or gas filled glass beads (bubbles or beads of varying sizes), so as to affect the density of the capsule or pellet. These capsules or pellets may also contain water or other aqueous solutions to be time released so as to activate release of micro-organisms when oil transport (e.g.pipeline) occurs under arid (e.g. desert
Beisner William H.
Faier Martin
Faier & Faier P.C.
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