The maximum contaminant level, or regulatory limit for California, is 5 ppb. Higher levels are considered hazardous to human health. It s also one of the most difficult contaminants to remove. Soybean oil injection is a promising new technology for delivering a noninvasive and cost-effective solution to TCE cleanup. Soybean oil promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic bacteria are capable of survival in the absence of free oxygen.
The technology exploits the bacteria s need to constantly eat and respire. Once the emulsion is injected, these naturally occurring bacteria begin to eat the soybean oil. This results in breaking down the TCE into a nonhazardous by-product, which is no longer a threat to the environment or those nearby. Inc. They lead a team of environmental scientists and engineers who are demonstrating the technology for the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, which is funding the project. After the emulsion injection, additional water was injected to move the soybean oil as far as possible outward from the initial injection points.