Patent ID: 8114659

Claim:
An apparatus for the treatment of a media, said apparatus comprising: a vessel and a vessel cap attachable to said vessel; said vessel comprising a rigid or semi-rigid body comprised substantially of hydrocarbon compounds and a substantial portion of said vessel body is essentially impermeable to solids and fluids that are liquids said vessel body comprising: at least a first end, a second end and a length between said first and second end, a continuous cavity whereby the majority of the length of the vessel is hollow; said continuous cavity encompassing a substantial amount of a cross-sectional area of the vessel that contains the continuous cavity said first end comprising a vessel body opening to said cavity, said first end configured to accept said vessel cap; said vessel cap comprising: an essentially impermeable barrier capable of preventing the transfer of solids and fluids between the cavity and the media or an environment adjacent to the media, said essentially impermeable barrier having a first opening through which the transfer of fluids between the vessel cavity and an environment outside the vessel cavity can occur, and a fluid transfer device whereby a pathway for the transfer of fluids into or in the vicinity of the vessel body is provided; wherein said vessel body is semi-permeable to fluids that are gases and comprised of a food source of hydrocarbon composition whereby said food source is sufficient to sustain the carbon metabolism of fungi, bacteria, enzymes or other selected prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms, said food source comprising a substantial amount of the mass of the vessel.