Benefits

Effective and long-lasting cleaning

• Contains a combination of liquid enzymes, bacteria and biodegradable cleaning surfactants.
• Effectively removes grease and oil contamination from forecourt areas and equipment such as pumps, islands and floors.
• Enhanced long lasting cleaning effects by degrading residual organics after cleaning is complete.

Advanced cleaning technology

• Both emulsion free and biologically enhanced, Forecourt Bio's bacteria and enzymes significantly reduce oil discharges to the environment.
• An innovative biodegradable, biological and separator friendly solution that reduces both the environmental impact and user safety of cleaning chemicals.

Proven effectiveness

• As part of a trial of biological cleaning products in the Netherlands, Forecourt Bio was used alongside biological oil stain remover OT8 and biological oil separator pillows Bio Tubes in a busy five-island petrol station over 6 months.
• At the end of the trial, oil separator discharges had been reduced by 95%!
• For full details on this trial, please click on "Petrol Station trial" tab.

Reduced Hazard Profile

• Non-toxic and free from VOCs and D-Limonene
• Safer for both the environment and the user
• No transport or storage concerns

New improved formulation!

• Reformulated for improved effectiveness and reduced hazard profile

Where to Use

• Designed to clean pump, island and forecourt areas.
• Replaces the need to use alkaline or caustic cleaning chemicals.

How to Use

For cleaning pumps, islands and forecourt areas:

• Simply use at a 1:20 solution for general cleaning,  ie 250ml per 5 litres.
• For best results, use warm water.
• Supplied in 5 litre containers, each pack being sufficient for more than 20 daily applications.

For cleaning diesel or oil stains:

• Water wet the contaminated area.
• Pour the diluted Forecourt Bio onto the stain and work in with a hard brush.
• Allow to soak for 10-15 minutes then rinse off with clean water.
• For old or stubborn stains, use OT8.

Petrol Station Trial: biological cleaning products

Overview

Oil discharges reduced by 95%!

Unlike traditional cleaning chemicals, biological degreasers clean and also digest unwanted oil emulsions.

Oily water effluent captured within a separator can be further bioremediated by use of our Bio Tubes, which digest up to 6 kg of oil per week for 6 − 8 months!

This strategy cleaning was tested at a busy five-island Petrol Station in the Netherlands.

The operator had oil discharges averaging 500ppm and wanted to see these discharges reduced to meet European Standard pr EN 858:

• Class 1 − 5mg/litre
• Class 2 − 100mg/litre.

This report shows how, over a period of 5 − 7 months, this objective was achieved.

Objectives

The Petrol Station retailer engaged an independent company to observe the trial and to analyse, on a two monthly basis, the results obtained.

The operator set the following objectives:

Did the use of biological chemicals:

• change the pH of the effluent water?
• alter the Oxygen demand of the effluent water?
• improve the cleanliness of his forecourt?

Were biological cleaning chemicals able to:

• digest oil throughout the carbon chain from C10 to C40?
• reduce total oil discharged to the European standard of 20ppm (from a 3 year historical average of 500ppm)?

Products used

In Month 1, the operator ceased using his traditional alkaline cleaning chemicals.

These were replaced with:

• Forecourt Bio - an enzyme based cleaner used at a dilution of 1:20 to clean pumps, islands and areas adjacent to the diesel pumps.

• OT8 - a biological oil stain remover used neat to remove oil stains across the forecourt.
• Bio Tubes - biological product that floats within the separator absorbing and digesting free oil. One Bio Tube was placed in the second chamber and two Bio Tubes were placed in the third chamber.

Results Obtained

Over the seven months, the following results were obtained:

Questions

Q1. Did a change of pH occur?

Starting at a pH of 4.9, within 3 months the pH had reduced to 2.6.

After investigation it was discovered that a night shift operator in Month 3 had emptied battery acid into the separator, producing the reading of 2.6!

From Month 4 to Month 7 the pH remained steady at 6.6.

Q2. Did the oxygen demand change?

In Month 3, the Forecourt Manager was so delighted with the biological oil stain remover OT8 that he used it to remove oil stains from the entire forecourt (5000m²).

This resulted in a large excess of surface oil being discharged to the separator in Month 3. By the end of Month 7 Oxygen demand was unchanged at 0.64.

Under normal circumstances, the separator should have been emptied and cleaned. However, it was decided for the excess oil to remain within the separator to test fully the effect of biological cleaning.

Q3. Did the bacteria digest across the carbon chain?

The results showed a dramatic reduction from Month 3 to Month 7 across the carbon chain (see above table).

Q4. Was a reduction in total oil discharge obtained?

In Month 1 effluent oil discharges were 514 mg/litre.

In Month 3, following the total site clean up using OT8, oil discharges were 3292 mg/litre!

By Month 7, this was reduced to 19 mg/litre using the combination of Bio Tubes within the separator and the continued use of Forecourt Bio.

Conclusion

Cleaning of Pumps and Islands

Forecourt Bio, used at a 1:20 dilution, proved very effective in cleaning pumps and islands.

Operators noted that when applied to surface diesel spills, the area contaminated was restored to its original surface condition.

They also commented that the more frequently they used Forecourt Bio to clean diesel spills, the less they needed to use − confirming that biological cleaning continues to remain effective long after application.

Forecourt Oil Stains

OT8, our Biological Oil Stain Remover, was very effective in removing oil stains across the forecourt.

Our recommendation to the operator was that OT8 should be used regularly for individual oil stains and every six months for general forecourt cleaning (after which the separator should be emptied and cleaned).

Separators

The Bio Tubes placed within the separator worked very effectively.

In Month 3 the separator has excessive oil content and high oil discharge, as described in Q1 above.

By Month 7, these discharges had been reduced from 3292 to 19 mg/litre - a reduction of 95%.

Our recommendation to the operator was that three Bio Tubes should be replaced six monthly, after each routine complete emptying and cleaning of the separator.

Pack Sizes

• 1000L IBCs

• 200L drums

• 20L containers

• 4 x 5L containers

Technical data

How do Biological Oil Stain Removers work?

Our biological oil stain removing products, including Forecourt Bio, contain specially selected bacteria which digest the oil stain.

While the food source − ie ‘oil stain’ − is present, the bacteria keep on working and continue to do so until it’s all gone!

For the biological cleaning of oil stains to be effective, it requires:

• Food source for the bacteria to digest, i.e. the 'oil stain'
• Warm conditions
• Moist conditions
• Oxygen
• The correct bacteria

On the basis that the first four conditions are in place, the bacteria selected for use in our products will digest oil stains - from light oils to heavy crude.

The bacteria used in our products are Euro Type 1 (safe for long term laboratory application and safe for long term general public exposure).

For further information, please contact us.