An improved microbiological fire-fighting foam which comprises a bioremediating component, surfactants, foaming agents, and inorganic nutrients, the bioremediating component consisting substantially of sporulating bacteria which are tolerant of the surfactants used, the surfactants selected being innocuous to the bioremediating component used both when the microbes are in a spore state and when activated, and the selected surfactants further being biodegradable by the microbes of the microbial solution. Alternative embodiments of the invention include formulations which comprise perfumes and/or preservatives in addition to the constituents mentioned above. The improved formulation enables microbiological digestion to inert volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons which may indeed be ablaze when applied.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a formulation for both extinguishing fires 
and for decomposing (bioremediating) difficult waste organic materials, 
including hydrocarbons, responsible for the fire; more specifically it 
relates to single product useful for controlling and extinguishing organic 
fires and for cleaning the residual hydrocarbon waste spills with a 
component which biodegrades the residual spill product in situ, thereby 
reducing the need for expensive waste handling and disposal methods which 
usually involve the removal and disposal of the contaminated soil 
material. 
SUMMARY 
The present invention is a formulation of an aqueous mixture of preselected 
microorganisms, inorganic nutrients, a stabilizer, an optional 
preservative, foaming agents and surfactants useful for extinguishing 
fires and bioremediating a fire site. Microorganisms in this mixture are 
stabilized until used and then activated when applied to waste organic 
compounds including hydrocarbons. The selection of specific activatable 
microbes, microbe cultures, microorganisms, bacteria, spores, or 
sporogenous microbe strains will vary depending on the waste material to 
be remediated, but is well within the ability of one of ordinary skill in 
the art. The presence of the inorganic nutrients solution within the 
bioremediating component promotes an increase in the growth and 
reproductive capacity of the microbes while feeding on the material being 
decomposed. The result of increased microbe growth and reproductive 
capacity is a greatly increased microbe population available to decompose 
waste organic compounds including hydrocarbons soon after application, and 
the sustaining of this microbial activity. 
In broad practice, this invention comprises a bioremediating component 
including inorganic nutrients, and a fire-extinguishing component 
including a foaming agent. The inorganic nutrients in the inorganic 
nutrients solution support the reproduction and growth of the microbe 
strains of the bioremediating component. They support the growth and 
reproduction of these strains when they are activated in the presence of 
waste organic compounds and water. The mixture contains from about 40% to 
about 50% by volume of an aqueous inorganic nutrients solution, from about 
30% to about 40% by volume foaming agent and from about 16% to about 20% 
by volume of pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution. The preferred 
embodiment of this invention contains about 45% by volume of the inorganic 
nutrients solution, about 36.7% by volume foaming agent (e.g. ammonium 
lauryl sulfate), and about 18.3% by volume of the pre-mixed 
microbe-surfactant solution. The pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution 
itself contains surfactants to disperse and extinguish the fire and 
facilitate the decomposition of the volatile organic compounds by the 
microbe cultures, a stabilizer, a preservative, an optional perfume or 
deodorant with the microorganism culture ("microbes"). 
BACKGROUND 
Foaming concentrates have been known and used since before 1940 for use as 
fire fighting agents, for crop protection and for a variety of other 
applications. Ingredients are added for a variety of reasons, for example: 
microbicides are often added to discourage bacterial decay of the foam, 
preservatives are added to impart shelf life stability, other ingredients 
are sometimes added to lower the freezing point, and/or to alter the 
viscosity. 
For many applications it is desirable to produce a foam which is persistent 
for several days. Examples of such applications are as temporary covers 
for landfills and waste piles, covers for spills of hazardous materials 
and crop protection against frost. Because of this, a bactericide is 
usually added as a preservative to prevent the decomposition of the foam 
concentrate by bacteria. Protein hydrolysates are a constituent found in 
foam of a prior art formulation, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,095 
to DiMaio, and also U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,991 to Norman et al. Because these 
hydrolysates are excellent nutrient sources for microbiological life 
forms, a low level toxicity biocide is usually recommended as an additive 
to preserve the concentrate. The fact that most foams are susceptible to 
microbial decomposition provides a basis for the conclusion that the art 
of fire-fighting foams teaches against the inclusion of microbial life 
forms in their formulations. 
Organics-decomposing-microorganisms have been commercially available to 
clean oil spills from oil tankers and to assist in waste removal from 
grease interceptors in restaurants for some time now. Microbes 
specifically engineered for the decomposition of difficult organic 
compounds are well known and readily available. For example, Sybron 
Chemicals, Inc. manufactures the microbiological strains utilized in one 
embodiment of the present invention under U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,482,632 and 
4,288,545, incorporated herein by reference. The microbiological strains 
of the Bacillus species particularly effective in the practice of the 
invention in connection with the consumption of volatile organic compounds 
are B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, and B. polymyxa. 
In addition, the selection of one of the above strains is advantageous 
because these species of Bacillus are not true pathogens as are the 
species B. anthracis and B. cereus. Reports of infections in man caused by 
Bacillus species other than B. anthracis and B. cereus are rare. According 
to a report by the Department of Biology of the Virginia Polytechnic 
Institute and State University, B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, and B. 
polymyxa as described by the manufacturer, Sybron, would not constitute a 
public health hazard unless the microorganisms were used in an area where 
individuals with an unusual vulnerability (such as when undergoing an 
open-incision surgical procedure) would be exposed. 
Investigation of microbial degradation of oil dates back to at least 1942, 
when the American Petroleum Institute began to subsidize research in the 
field. Considerable basic knowledge about factors that affect natural 
biodegradation, about the kinds of hydrocarbons capable of being degraded, 
and about the species and distribution of the microorganisms involved in 
biodegradation had already been developed in the early 1970s. For 
instance, the Office of Naval Research sponsored more than a dozen basic 
and applied research projects in the late 1960s and early 1970s on oil 
biodegradation to control marine oil spills. Since this time, a large 
number of refineries, tank farms, and transfer stations now employ in situ 
bioremediation to restore land contaminated by accidental spills of fuel 
oil or other hydrocarbons. 
Probably the most important series of field tests of the use of 
fire-fighting foam to control organics and hydrocarbon fires were 
conducted in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. The oil field fires 
created an environment of urgency and necessity which focused creative 
minds on solving the problems at hand, and on concentrating on research 
and development to solve the problems which were anticipated to occur 
again in the future. 
Aqueous Film Forming Foam ("AFFF", a product of Minnesota Mining and 
Manufacturing) is the most commonly used fire-fighting foam currently on 
the market. Despite this fact, it was rarely used during the oil field 
fires of Kuwait because of its relative ineffectiveness in extinguishing 
fires of such a magnitude and intensity (unless the source is completely 
blanketed with foam) and because of its relative inability to prevent 
flashbacks. In addition, "AFFF" contains fluorinated surfactants and 
butyl-ether, both generally considered to be toxic substances. It has been 
observed that some soils contaminated with "AFFF" several years earlier 
still foam up during a rain for example. This is evidence of the 
persistence of the fluorosurfactant used and its resistance to 
biodegradation. This may present a hazard to fish and other forms of 
wildlife in shallow waters that breath through their pores, at least until 
the surfactant used in "AFFF" is sufficiently diluted or is naturally 
biodegraded. Being well aware of these negative side effects to "AFFF's" 
use, the United States Defense Department has been seeking a non-toxic yet 
effective alternative to "AFFF." The present invention is just such an 
alternative. 
Microorganisms ("microbes") of the type used in the present invention are 
capable of assimilating and breaking down the non-soluble organic 
materials including hydrocarbons that compose grease and oil into 
relatively harmless substances of water-soluble products, carbon dioxide 
and a lesser quantity of fatty acids. These types of microorganisms are 
relatively commonplace in the environment. 
The difficulty encountered in incorporating microbe cultures in a 
fire-fighting foam solution which will extinguish organically fueled fires 
and begin the disposition of the residual hydrocarbon waste products were 
many. The first challenge was the selection of a hardy strain of 
organics-consuming (primarily hydrocarbon-consuming) microorganisms which 
withstand the extremely severe environment associated with organically 
fueled fires in a proportion sufficient to adequately address the 
magnitude of the overall bioremediation challenge presented. A second 
challenge was determining the specific organism that digest or decompose a 
particular grease or oil and yet remain capable of being stabilized so 
that they have a satisfactory shelf life thereby being available when 
needed. A third challenge was the selection of a microbial strain which 
would stabilize in a surfactant strong enough to extinguish the fire. A 
fourth challenge was to control the microbe population so that they 
multiply and exist in sufficient quantities so as to accomplish the job of 
hydrocarbon waste removal in a timely fashion. 
A need therefore exists for a bioremediating fire-fighting foam mixture and 
a method for the decomposition of organic materials which meets the 
challenges presented in order to reduce cleanup costs and increase the 
quality of the cleanup by providing an effective and environmentally safe 
means to do so.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Harnessing the power of microbes is hampered by the lack of control over 
growth and reproductive rates. The present invention comprises a mixture 
of a stabilized bioremediating component, a foaming agent and an inorganic 
nutrients solution and its use for fire-fighting and spill remediation 
purposes. The presence of the inorganic nutrients causes rapid growth and 
reproduction of the microbes when contacting waste petroleum products. 
According to a first object of this invention there is provided a process 
for extinguishing an organically fueled fire and for treating waste 
organic spill product by applying a combination fire extinguishing and a 
bioremediating formulation comprising microbes, foaming agents, 
stabilizers, nonionic surfactants and inorganic nutrients to the 
substrate. In a first formulation, a mixture of inorganic nutrients, 
foaming agent and (commercially available) pre-mixed microbe-surfactant 
solution is prepared through a process comprising mixing one part 
microbiological fire-fighting formulation with about 10 to about 100 parts 
of ordinary tap water. The process further comprises applying this mixture 
in sufficient quantity to cover the combusting area using for example, a 
fire truck pumper with a 1.5 inch hose at 90 to 125 psi and an eductor. 
After the extinction of the flames and inerting the volatiles, the fire 
site may be cleaned by rinsing down the substrate with ordinary tap water 
so that the waste water and decomposing hydrocarbon biomass drains away. 
The presence of surfactant provides the primary fire-extinguishing agent 
and its selection is such that it is innocuous to the microbes used. The 
surfactant used is later consumed by the microbe cultures which are a 
constituent of the invention's formulation. 
According to a second object of the invention, there is provided a process 
for treating soil contaminated by waste organic material such as grease, 
petroleum or petroleum products which is left behind after an organically 
fueled fire has been extinguished. 
A third object of the present invention, that of providing an effective, 
safe and inexpensive means of dealing with fuel or oil fires on public 
highways, is explained best by way of the following hypothetical example: 
An "18 wheeler" tanker spills fuel on the highway which immediately 
ignites, and the anticipated time for emergency response is one hour. 
Adding to this misfortune, the driver has inadvertently collided with 
another vehicle in the course of the accident. This second vehicle comes 
to rest near the flames. Persons are trapped inside. This is a very 
hazardous situation--without prior planning, there would be few options 
other than to remain still until the fire department emergency response 
personnel and equipment arrive. In addition, even if the flames are 
somehow extinguished, the possibility remains that until the volatiles are 
inerted the fuel may re-ignite into flames under little more than the 
weight of a person's foot. 
Fortunately, the driver is coherent and is prepared for this eventuality 
having purchased a 2.5 gallon fire extinguisher loaded with "MICRO-BLAZE 
OUT" fire-fighting foam (the trade name of a formulation of the present 
invention). He sprays down the contaminated areas--up to 100 square feet 
with 2.5 gallons almost immediately extinguishing the flames and 
simultaneously beginning the process of inerting the volatile 
contaminants. 
If the spill in the above hypothetical is comprised primarily of diesel, it 
will be inerted almost immediately upon contact; if of gasoline, the 
process takes considerably more time--about 5 to 20 minutes depending on 
the concentration of gasoline. In either case, this is substantially less 
time than one hour, the time required in this hypothetical for a fire 
truck to arrive. Once the flames are extinguished and the volatiles are 
inerted, the driver would then be able to help those trapped in the car 
and to set up his road blocks, etc. 
Again in the above hypothetical, when the emergency response unit arrives, 
the response personnel need only wash the area off, displacing the active 
mixture of contaminates and "MICRO-BLAZE OUT" fire-fighting foam to the 
side of the road. The treated area of the highway becomes non-skid, 
because of the cleaning action of the microbe-surfactant mix. The 
emergency response team can then move that truck off the highway and allow 
traffic to flow. The material washed to the side of the road may then be 
left to digest the residual surfactants and any remaining contaminants. Of 
course, it will likely dry up before it completely remediates the spill. 
However, the selection of the bacteria is such that about 80% of the 
microbes will survive and go back into spore, remaining idle in this 
resting state. When the ground is moistened once again (e.g. it rains) and 
the food source is still present, the microbes will come out of spore and 
continue to bioremediate the spill until the food source (the spill 
product) is completely digested or until the area dries out again. If the 
area is kept wet, the microbes would likely consume a large percentage of 
the remaining organic compounds in the next two week period. This will 
vary of course, depending on the size and type of the contaminant. 
The microbiological strains mentioned above are selected because of their 
hardiness in that they will stabilize in a surfactant which is capable of 
extinguishing a typical organically fueled fire, the fact that they are 
sporogenous, and have an ability to decompose both the surfactant used and 
a particular type of waste found in the typical hydrocarbon spill. The 
concentrated mixture contains about 50 to 60 billion microbes per quart. 
The proportion of each microbiological strain in the bioremediating 
component may be varied according to the composition of organic materials 
to which the solution is applied. As the microbes of a particular 
microbiological strain attack and decompose a component of the spill, 
those microbes grow and reproduce. If a particular component is not 
present in the spill, the microbiological strain that feeds on that 
component will die out. 
In one embodiment of the present invention a pre-mixed microbe-surfactant 
solution is formed when a surfactant and optionally according to need, a 
stabilizer, a preservative and a perfume are added to the microbial 
strains to assist in the decomposition of organic matter and cleanup of 
hydrocarbon waste. As used herein, the term "pre-mixed microbe-surfactant 
solution" refers to commercially available aqueous microorganism culture 
concentrates, the component's form prior to mixing with the foaming agent 
and inorganic nutrients solution. The concentrations of constituents in 
the present invention are derived from a most preferred embodiment which 
is formulated using BI-CHEM GC600L 6X (Sybron, Inc., Salem, Va.) as the 
source for microbes, surfactant, stabilizer, and preservative. 
The pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution of this invention includes about 
54% to about 66% aqueous bacteria culture, up to about 1.7% stabilizer, 
from about 17% to 21% surfactant, and up to about 2% preservative, the 
balance being water. The microbial strains present in the aqueous bacteria 
culture were selected because they are capable of decomposing the organic 
matter found in grease and waste petroleum products. The stabilizer is 
usually present to maintain the microbe population substantially constant 
until the microbe solution is brought into contact with waste organic 
compounds which act as food for the microorganisms. The preservatives 
prevent destruction of the bacteria culture by toxic organisms. The 
surfactant acts as the primary fire-extinguishing agent, the initial 
inerting agent, as a dispersant, and as a cleaning agent and is an 
important ingredient of this invention. Because of the requirement that it 
coexist with sporogenous bacteria in either a spore state or in an active 
state, the surfactant must be innocuous to the organics-consuming bacteria 
cultures used. The surfactants specifically identified in this 
specification are all substantially innocuous to the microbes selected. 
A surfactant by definition is a substance which alters the surface tension 
of water, and there are traditionally three types: nonionic, anionic, and 
cationic. A fourth type which under certain conditions may be anionic or 
cationic is known as amphoteric. It is the nature of a surfactant molecule 
to have one end which is hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic. While 
those skilled in the art may determine specific examples of various 
surfactants useful in any of the above classes, the preferred class of 
surfactants for the practice of this invention is the nonionic surfactant, 
or a mixture thereof, because it has been found to be an effective 
fire-extinguishing agent, to be innocuous to the organics-consuming 
bacteria used in the formulation of this invention, and because it is also 
consumed by the organics-consuming microbes over a reasonable period of 
time. 
Specific examples of nonionic surfactants are compounds which are formed by 
reacting alkylphenols, particularly octyl- or nonylphenols, with ethylene 
oxide. Those in common use include Triton series (Union Carbide 
Corporation), the Igepal series (Phone-Poulenc Corporation), the DeSonic 
series (Witco Corporation), the Hyonic series (Henkel Corporation), all 
those of the chemical class ethoxylated alkyl phenol, the Glucopon series 
(Henkel Corporation) and all those of the chemical class polysaccharide 
ether. Specific examples include DeSonic 4N, Triton X-100, Igepal Co-630, 
Igepal Co-730, Hyonic NP-90, Glucopon 225, Glucopon 425 and Glucopon 625. 
The average number of ethylene oxide molecules attached to each molecule 
of alkylphenol is between 1 and 12 per molecule of octyl- or nonylphenol. 
When the ethylene oxide molecules are between 1 and 4, the surfactant is 
immiscible in water, whereas if the average number of ethylene oxide 
molecules attached is between 4 and 6, the surfactant is dispersible in 
water, and 7 or above, soluble. The preferred nonionic surfactant of those 
above are those soluble in water--these surfactants have an average of 
from 8 to 12 molecules ethylene oxide per molecule of alkylphenol. This 
includes a surfactant which is an alkylphenol and ethlyene oxide derived 
molecule having at least 7 to about 15 ethylene oxide moieties per 
alkylphenol moiety. Other nonionic surfactants may include ethylene oxide 
adducts of fatty acids, amines or other substances and their derivatives 
with ethylene oxide. 
Examples of cationic surfactants which may be considered for use in this 
invention are those liquids formed from the quaternary ammonium chloride 
derivatives of polypropoxy tertiary amines. A specific example of anionic 
surfactant which may be useful is octylphenoxypolyethoxyethylphosphate (a 
phosphated ethylene oxide adduct of octylphenol), a material sold by Rohm 
and Haas Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) under the trademark "TRITON QS-44". 
This anionic surfactant may be in a free acid form or as an alkali metal 
salt, preferably the sodium salt. The active ingredient in other anionic 
surfactants which may be tested for use in the present invention is sodium 
dioctylsulfosuccinate. While specific suitable and suggested possible 
nonionic, cationic and anionic surfactants have been set forth, the 
surfactants which may be used in the present invention are not limited to 
those specifically discussed. The foregoing illustrate that water soluble 
surfactants which are effective at a substantially neutral pH (from about 
5 to about 9) are preferred according to the present invention. The 
selection of the pH is important to avoid an environment damaging to the 
maintenance of the viability of the microbes. The preferred pH range for 
the formulation is about neutral, i.e. from about 6 to about 8. However, 
the concentrate will function when pH is adjusted within a range of about 
4 to 11.5. 
Stabilizers and preservatives added to maintain the microbe population 
until applied to waste organic compounds are routinely selected by 
suppliers of microbes and are not themselves part of this invention. The 
selection is within the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art. 
The most preferred embodiment of the formulation uses premixed 
microbe-surfactant solution GC 600L 6X, (described below), which is 
understood to comprise about 60% by volume aqueous bacteria culture, up to 
about 1.5% by volume stabilizer, about 19% by volume surfactant, and up to 
about 2% by volume preservative. The aqueous bacteria culture (bacteria 
spores in water) comprises B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, and B. polymyxa. 
A suitable aqueous bacteria culture is supplied by Sybron, Inc. (Salem, 
N.J.) and is sold under the trade name BI-CHEM Spore Concentrate (P). It 
contains between 12.times.10.sup.7 and 14.2.times.10.sup.7 CFU/ml ("CFU" 
is colony forming units). The stabilizer is sodium hydroxide or opacifier 
(e.g. WITOOPAQUE R-11 from Emulsion Systems); the preservative is a 
mixture of 1,2-benzisothiazolin and dipropylene glycol; and the nonionic 
surfactant may be an EO adduct of an alkylphenol such as "TRITON X-100" 
(supplied by Rohn & Haas) or "NP-9" and "NP-13" (supplied by Emery). 
Perfume may optionally be added as a deodorizer to improve smell. 
The growth and reproductive activity of the microbes is greatly enhanced by 
the presence of inorganic nutrients. The resulting increase in the 
quantity of microbes increases the decomposition rate of the organic 
compounds thereby neutralizing the threat of re-ignition. The presence of 
inorganic nutrients, stabilizers and preservatives enhances the storage 
life of the invention. An indefinite shelf life has been achieved in the 
concentrated mixture. 
The preferred inorganic nutrients solution useful in the practice of the 
invention is made by dissolving water soluble sources of soluble nitrogen, 
phosphorus and potassium mixing from about 0.1% to 0.3% by weight of 
commercial fertilizer (e.g. 15-30-15 grade "SCOTT BRAND") with water and 
allowing the mixture to stand until clear, about 21 days and six hours for 
this particular fertilizer. It is estimated that the resulting inorganic 
nutrient solution contains about 0.02% by weight and about 0.06% by weight 
nitrogen, between about 0.05% by weight and 0.09% by weight phosphorus, 
between about 0.02% by weight and about 0.06% by weight potassium with the 
rest being water and soluble filler material. 
Although commercial fertilizer is the preferred source of ingredients used 
in the preparation of the inorganic nutrients solution, natural sources of 
nitrogen such as found in animal droppings or manure may also be used. 
Some alternative sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium include the 
various water soluble salts of these components. The presence of iron may 
also have a beneficial effect. 
A preferred inorganic nutrients solution is made by mixing about 20 pounds 
of a readily available commercially prepared fertilizer (15-30-15 Scott's 
delayed action lawn fertilizer) and about 8,330 pounds of water. The 
fertilizer is allowed to stand in the water for about 21 days and about 6 
hours until dissolved. In the preferred embodiment of this invention the 
fertilizer is placed in a screen holder and lowered into an opening at the 
top of a 1,000 gallon tank. Tap water is run over the fertilizer until the 
1,000 gallon tank is filled. The fertilizer is allowed to stand in the 
water between 10 to 28 days. In the most preferred embodiment of this 
invention the fertilizer is allowed to stand in the water for about 21 
days and 6 hours until dissolved. Although longer or shorter periods of 
digestion may be satisfactory it has been found that the solution which 
has been allowed to stand for 21 days and 6 hours provided the most 
optimum stimulation to active growth and reproduction of microbes as 
observed under microscopes. The inorganic nutrients solution made by this 
process comprises from about 0.1% to 0.3% by weight of a solution of 
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in water. 
A preferred formulation of the present invention which is particularly 
formulated for forest and/or brush fires and commercial or residential 
building fires, comprises approximately 55 parts GC600L 6X (the 
composition of which is described above), 110 parts ammonium lauryl 
sulfate and 135 parts water or, preferably, an aqueous solution comprising 
nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and/or potassium. The concentrate 
thus formed remains stable in storage indefinitely and, when premixed with 
97 to 99 parts of water (a 1% to 3% soln), produces an effective 
fire-fighting agent which may be sprayed directly on the fire using for 
example, a 1.5 inch hose at 90 to 120 psi. Alternatively, the formulation 
may be applied using an eductor, a mechanism used to pull the concentrate 
material into the water stream from a concentrate container. The 
formulation has been observed to extinguish the flames on contact without 
substantial danger of flash-back. 
A preferred formulation for the present invention which is particularly 
formulated for crude oil fires, comprises approximately 55 parts GC600L 
6X, 110 parts ammonium lauryl sulfate and 135 parts of an aqueous solution 
comprising inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and 
potassium. The concentrate thus formed remains stable in storage for at 
least 12 months and, when diluted with 94 to 97 parts by volume of water 
(a 3% to 6% soln), produces an effective fire-fighting agent which may be 
sprayed directly on the fire using for example, a 1.5 inch hose at 90 to 
120 psi (note: it is contemplated that the injection of air into the mix 
immediately before application will enhance foam production such that the 
percentage of ALS in the formulation may be substantially reduced). The 
formulation has been observed to extinguish the flames on contact without 
substantial danger of flash-back. 
On a volumetric basis, a formulation of the present invention relates to a 
microbiological fire-fighting formulation of inorganic nutrients, foaming 
agent and bioremediating component comprising about 45% by volume of 
inorganic nutrients solution, about 36.7% by volume foaming agent (e.g. 
ALS) and about 18.3% by volume pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution (e.g. 
GC600L 6X), wherein the pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution comprises a 
surfactant, a stabilizer, a preservative and a microorganism culture. 
After mixing the inorganic nutrients solution, the foaming agent and the 
pre-mixed microbe-surfactant solution in the amounts as disclosed above, 
the mixture comprises about 9% to about 12% by volume bacteria culture, up 
to about 0.28% by volume stabilizer, about 3% to about 5% by volume 
surfactant, and from 30% up to about 36% by volume foaming agent. Of 
course, trace amounts of the nutrients of the inorganic nutrients solution 
are also present in the mixture. The inorganic nutrients in the inorganic 
nutrients solution are substantially effective in causing the microbes to 
double in population every twenty minutes. In this formulation of the 
invention the microbe-solution comprises a nonionic surfactant, a 
stabilizer, a preservative and a microorganism culture. In addition, it 
should be noted that the composition as described above wherein the 
percentage of foaming agent is reduced to as low as 10% (the deficit being 
made up by increasing the volume of bacteria culture) has been tested with 
satisfactory though less than optimal results. 
According to a preferred and currently practiced formulation of the present 
invention there is provided a microbiological fire-fighting formulation 
comprising about 18.3% by volume BI-CHEM GC 600L 6X (Sybron Chemicals, 
Incorporated), about 36.7% by volume ammonium lauryl sulfate (a foaming 
agent), and about 45% by volume preferred INORGANIC NUTRIENTS solution. 
Normal strength "BI-CHEM GC 600L" is comprised of 10% by volume BI-CHEM 
spore concentrate (P); 3.2% by volume nonionic surfactant such as "TRITON 
X-100" (by Rohn & Haas), "NP-9" or "NP-13" (by Emery); 0.25% opacifier 
spore stabilizer such as "WITOOPAQUE R-11" (by Emulsion Systems) or sodium 
hydroxide; and 0.3% perfume such as "86F/471" (by Fragrance Resources, 
Keyport, N.J.), "407322" (by Fragrascent Neumark Extra, by Ingredient Tech 
Corp., Des Plaines, Ill.) or Arylene N. Fragrance (by Arlyessence, Inc.), 
with the balance being water. A preservative may optionally be used. GC 
600L 6X as used in the present invention is a concentrate of GC 600L (6 
times normal concentration) and is readily available on the market. 
However, in the formulations of the present invention, a trace amount of 
alcohol which is normally a constituent in the commercially available 
product is removed by the manufacturer by request prior to use in the 
present invention. 
The ALS used in the formulation of this invention is comprised of about 30% 
to 33% ammonium lauryl sulfate solution having a specific gravity of 1.05 
at 25 degrees C. 
Opacifier present in GC600L 6X is a stabilizer which helps ensure that the 
microbes remain in a spore while in storage and until applied to the 
organic compounds to be consumed. When diluted with water or inorganic 
nutrients solution, the concentration of stabilizer remains sufficient to 
keep the microbes in spore until a food source is available. When the 
microbes are excited by the presence of a food source, they then become 
activated and are able to begin the decomposition of organic wastes. 
The perfume used in the currently practiced formulation of the present 
invention is of course optional. It has been found that the pleasant 
masking odor of the perfume helps in improving the working environment 
around a spill for the emergency response personnel. 
At the time of application to a fire, the present invention is mixed with 
water preferably in the ratio comprising one part by volume formulation 
and between 17 parts and 100 parts by volume water, depending on the type 
of fire to be extinguished. Additionally, the diluted formulation may be 
turbulated prior to application to the fire. 
The following example is given to aid in the practice of this invention and 
are for the purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as 
being limiting on the overall scope of the invention described. 
EXAMPLE 1 
A representative test comparing the effectiveness of the formulation of the 
present invention with "AFFF" (3M Company) was conducted at the Brayton 
Fire Field at Texas A&M University. A 21 foot diameter (346 square feet 
surface area) steel tank is filled with 65 gallons of diesel and 15 
gallons of gasoline. The fuel is ignited and allowed to burn for 30 
seconds prior to an attempt to extinguish the flames. The equipment used 
to apply a 3% solution of "MICRO BLAZE OUT" fire-fighting foam includes a 
pressure nozzle set mid-range at a 95 gallons per minute (therefore, 3.6 
GPM/square foot) dispense rate using a straight stream. Result is an 
extinguishment time of 30 seconds. 
AFFF testing under the same conditions extinguished the flames in a 
comparable period of time, but at a product cost 20% greater than the 
MICRO-BLAZE OUT used. In addition, the use of AFFF raises environmental 
concerns, possibly requiring mechanical removal at considerable additional 
expense. 
Variations of the formulation used in the Example above can be prepared by 
altering the relative amounts of ingredients and/or by replacing them with 
functionally similar ingredients. Formulations have been prepared with 
greater and less amounts of ALS, and inorganic nutrients with acceptable, 
although not optimal results. 
The order of the ingredients added and mixing technique are not 
particularly important. However, the typical preparation of the 
formulation proceeds as follows: first, one fifty-five (55) gallon drum of 
GC 600L 6X is placed in a three hundred (300) gallon mixing container. To 
this is added one fifty-five (55) gallon drum of the ALS. Then fifty-five 
(55) gallons of inorganic nutrients solution is added. Another fifty-five 
(55) gallon drum of ALS solution is added. The balance of the 300 gallon 
formulation is made up of either water or inorganic nutrients solution. 
The container is then capped off and mixed. It is then ready to ship. At 
the site, it may be diluted with water in an amount depending on the 
application for which it is to be used. The pH of the formulation remains 
about neutral, and is rarely above 8. It has therefore not been observed 
to be necessary to control the pH of the formulation. However, if pH 
control is necessary, pH may be adjusted using NaOH or HCl. 
It is contemplated that additives may be used to enhance the bubble 
stability of the foam. In addition, it is likely that any number of known 
freezing point depressants may be added to the basic formulation to help 
prevent freezing of the concentrate. The additives used in the formulation 
of this invention are those which exhibit minimal adverse environmental 
and toxic effects. It is anticipated that these environmentally safe 
components could be replaced by less desirable agents, if necessary, 
without substantially diminishing the functionality of the invention. 
The basic formulation is diluted to a range of from approximately 1% to 6% 
with water prior to turbulation to produce foam. The preferred dilution is 
dependent on the type of fire, but a relatively wide range is functional. 
At 3% (i.e. 97 parts per hundred volume of water) dilution, the solution 
produces a quality foam which is highly cost effective. 
The advantages of the present invention have been clearly presented. The 
formulation of the invention as described above and in the claims below 
provides a fire-fighting foam and residual spill control agent which can 
be stored indefinitely and dispensed as required from conventional fire 
extinguishing devices. The formulation begins to work immediately, 
extinguishing the fire and breaking down some of the most volatile organic 
materials in only a matter of minutes. This enables the stabilization of 
volatile surfaces in a short period, decreasing the immediate danger of 
explosion or ignition and thereby protecting lives and property. This 
ability is enhanced by the presence of surfactants in the formulation 
which begins the process of inerting the volatiles and disperses the 
organic compounds such that more surface area is exposed for microbial 
decomposition. 
Thus it is apparent that in accordance with the present invention, an 
improved foamable concentrate and method of mixing same is provided which 
fully satisfies the objectives set forth above. While the invention has 
been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident 
that many alternatives, variations, modifications and permutations will 
become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing 
description. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention 
embrace all such alternatives, variations, modifications and permutations 
as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.