A controlled field test at an Italian fuel depot showed up to 93% TPH reduction in 90 days using Akka2O COnTRASolv®, with an additional boost when combined with probiotics.
Background: the challenge of persistent free-phase hydrocarbons
At this site, historical mineral-oil storage left hydrocarbon contamination in groundwater, with a floating free-phase layer intermittently present in a control piezometer. Even with a long-running pump-and-treat system, the fluctuating free phase suggested the presence of larger fuel pockets, making remediation timelines difficult to compress.
Objective
The goal was straightforward: verify the effectiveness of Akka2O COnTRASolv® (and, in a second phase, COnTRASolv® + probiotics) in reducing contaminants through a controlled on-site test.
Site snapshot
During the joint assessment, the team measured:
Water table depth: 220 cm
Floating layer thickness (surnatant): 10 cm
These conditions informed a practical, field-ready protocol designed to replicate real operational constraints.
Experimental setup: three tanks, one comparison
Contaminated groundwater was sampled directly from the pump-and-treat system and distributed into three 1000 L tanks (≈200 L each):
Tank A — Control: untreated
Tank B — Akka2O only: treated with 50 L of Akka2O COnTRASolv®
Tank C — Akka2O + probiotics: treated with 50 L of Akka2O COnTRASolv®, then probiotics added in a second phase
Monitoring plan
Multi-parameter monitoring: pH, redox, dissolved O₂, conductivity, temperature
Lab analytics: Total hydrocarbons (TPH) and total bacterial count
Sampling schedule: T=0, 7, 15, 21, 45, 70, 90 days
Results: faster reductions, stronger synergy
Key outcomes from the test:
Up to 69% TPH reduction in 23 days using COnTRASolv® (without probiotics).
With probiotics (Tank C), reduction increased to 85%, highlighting a strong chemical + biological synergy.
Dissolved oxygen trends indicated intense microbial activity, consistent with biodegradation processes—especially after inoculation in Tank C.
After 90 days, Tank C showed a reduction from 5,070 mg/L to 360 mg/L TPH, equal to 93%.
Why this matters for real remediation projects
This case supports a practical approach to groundwater hydrocarbon management where conventional systems (e.g., pump-and-treat) may stabilize the site but struggle to shorten timelines. The combined use of Akka2O COnTRASolv® + probiotics demonstrated a technologically advanced and cost-effective pathway to accelerate remediation, with clear field-measured performance.
