Accelerate Site Cleanup with Microbial Intelligence

The extraction, refining, transport, and storage of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) happen at such a scale that there are thousands of accidental releases of varying size every year. Biodegradation of PHC contamination in soil and groundwater occurs naturally and can also be enhanced to support contaminated site management and remediation. Microbial Insights’ molecular biological tools (MBTs), including QuantArray®, CENSUS®, and Stable Isotope Probing, can be used to

  • understand whether biodegradation is occurring,
  • identify limiting factors,
  • optimize remediation strategies, and
  • support faster site cleanup.

Common Hydrocarbon-Impacted Sites

Retail Gas Stations

Underground storage tanks (USTs) leaking gasoline or diesel

Refineries and Transfer Terminals

Crude oil and refined products

Airports

Jet fuel and aviation fuel impacts

Industrial Facilities

Mixed hydrocarbon contamination

Military Installations

Legacy and recent fuel releases

MICROBIAL INSIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE REMEDIATION LIFECYCLE

DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS. OPTIMIZED REMEDIATION. FASTER SITE CLOSURE.

Integrating MBTs at every stage provides the insight needed to select the right remedy, optimize performance, and demonstrate biodegradation for closure.

1. SITE CHARACTERIZATION
2. REMEDY SELECTION
3. IMPLEMENTATION
4. PERFORMANCE MONITORING
5. OPTIMIZATION
6. CLOSURE
Monitoring Well Cover
enhanced-anaerobic-bioremediation
Anaerobic Bioremediation
A shallow groundwater aquifer at a former industrial facility was impacted by trichloroethene (TCE).

Establish a biological baseline and site potential.

  • Are hydrocarbon degraders present?
  • What is the potential for natural attenuation?
  • Are electron acceptors available?

Choose the right strategy with confidence.

  • Will biostimulation be effective?
  • What amendments are needed?
  • What are the expected outcomes?

Confirm delivery and current subsurface conditions.

  • Are amendments (oxygen, sulfate, etc.) reaching the target zone?
  • Are subsurface conditions favorable for biodegradation?

Track microbial response and remediation progress.

  • Are hydrocarbon degraders increasing?
  • Are key biodegradation genes increasing?
  • How is the plume responding?

Adjust strategies based on microbial and geochemical data.

  • Is additional electron acceptor needed?
  • Is the remedy performing as expected?
  • What is limiting biodegradation?

Demonstrate natural attenuation and achieve regulatory closure.

  • Is biodegradation sufficient to support closure?
  • Provide multiple lines of evidence.
  • Transition to long-term monitoring (MNA/NSZD).

Key Petroleum Hydrocarbon Groups

Targeted assays and comprehensive tools detect and quantify microorganisms and functional genes involved in the biodegradation of a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Effectiveness-of-oxygen-addition-at-former-gas-station

GASOLINE & BTEX

Benzene • Toluene • Ethylbenzene • Xylenes

COMMON CONCERNS
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • Low solubility and mobility
  • Toxicity and regulatory compliance
KEY qPCR TARGETS

PHE, RDEG, bssA, abcA, and others

Fuel and oil tanks, refinery - aerial view

FUEL ADDITIVES

MTBE • TBA • ETBE • Other oxygenates

COMMON CONCERNS
  • Persistence in groundwater
  • Dissolved plume migration
  • Regulatory standards
KEY qPCR TARGETS

PM1, TBA, ethB, and others

QuantArray-Petro-Landscape

DIESEL & PAHs

Naphthalene • Phenanthrene • Fluoranthene • Other PAHs

COMMON CONCERNS
  • Sorption to soils and sediments
  • Long-term persistence
  • Reduced bioavailability
KEY qPCR TARGETS

NAH, PHN, NIDA, ANC and others

A new joint industry project aims to develop methods, tools and workflows to reliably detect the occurrence of MIC in oil field operations.

CRUDE OIL & TPH

Alkanes • Cycloalkanes • Aromatics • Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

COMMON CONCERNS
  • Complex mixture of compounds
  • Source zone mass
  • Weathering and aging
KEY qPCR TARGETS

alkB, almA, CAR, assA, and others

MICROBIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE WORKFLOW

From Samples to Smarter Remediation Decisions

Our MBTs reveal the microbes, genes, and processes driving petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation at your site.

DEFINE SITE CHALLENGE

COLLECT SAMPLES

ANALYZE MICROBIOLOGY

EVALUATE BIODEGRADATION

MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

slide3.jpg
  • Primary contaminants
  • Delineate source zone and plume
  • Biostimulation or monitored natural attenuation
  • Regulatory drivers and cleanup goals
Min-Trap-a-new-monitoring-well-based-sampling-tool-for-documenting-in-situ-reactive-mineral-formation
  • Groundwater or soil/sediment
  • Source zone
  • Upgradient control
  • Within the plume
  • Treatment zones
With a singular focus on innovation and sustainability, a lone Japanese scientist utilizes a specially designed 3D printer to produce meat from bio ink, a game-changing technology with the potential to revolutionize the food industry.
  • QuantArray® – comprehensive multi-target qPCR for PHCs
  • SIP – biodegradation confirmation
  • NGS/Metagenomics – microbial community and functional potential
what's-new-with-Microbial-Insights
  • Are hydrocarbon degraders present?
  • Which biodegradation pathways are dominant?
  • Is treatment working as expected?
  • How is the microbial community responding?
Mountain and River
  • Optimize remediation strategies
  • Verify performance
  • Reduce costs and risk
  • Support site closure
  • Document natural attenuation
null

We help you design the right sampling strategy.

null

Proper sampling delivers reliable, actionable data.

null

Multiple tools. Multiple lines of molecular evidence.

null

We turn complex data into clear, meaningful insights.

null

Confident decisions. Better outcomes.

Recommended Molecular Analyses

No single test tells the whole story. Combine complementary MBTs to detect, quantify, and characterize the microbes and processes driving hydrocarbon biodegradation.

QuantArray®-Petro

Targeted gene quantification. Measure what matters.

BEST FOR
  • Routine monitoring and trend analysis
  • Tracking treatment performance
  • Evaluating key biodegradation genes
ANSWERS
  • Are hydrocarbon degraders present?
  • How abundant are they?
  • Are populations increasing or decreasing?

IDEAL USE: Long-term monitoring and decision support

Stable Isotope Probing

Trace contaminant fate. Conclusively prove biodegradation.

BEST FOR
  • Demonstrating in situ biodegradation
  • Evaluating enhanced bioremediation
  • Supporting a transition to MNA
ANSWERS
  • Is biodegradation occurring at the site?
  • Is a specific contaminant degrading?
  • Are native microbes using the contaminant as a carbon or energy source?

IDEAL USE: Improving regulatory and stakeholder confidence for MNA or closure.

Next Generation Sequencing

Characterize microbial communities. See the bigger picture.

BEST FOR
  • Understanding microbial ecology
  • Identifying key microbial populations
  • Assessing community shifts
ANSWERS
  • Which microorganisms are present?
  • How does the community change?
  • Which populations are enriched?

IDEAL USE: Microorganism identification and research

Not sure which approach is right for your site?
Our scientists will help you design a molecular strategy tailored to your site goals, budget, and timeline.
CONTACT OUR PROJECT SUCCESS TEAM