Wilhelmsen insights

Smarter Sewage Treatment with Probiotic Cleaners

Regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage were laid down in Annex IV of MARPOL. This article will explore the features of probiotic cleaners, their uses and how they aid the treatment of waste aboard ships.
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Wilhelmsen insights |

Introduction

Annex IV of MARPOL sets strict regulations regarding discharge of sewage from ships. In order for the sewage treatment plant to work effectively, it is important you use the right products that do not kill the bacteria required for an effective decomposition of sewage.

In addition, ship-owners or managers also need to deal with grey and black water pipes being clogged, which is a problem for ships due to its design requiring long horizontal runs. The horizontal pipes do not aid gravitational flow and as the vessel rolls and pitches, soil lines will run backwards. These pipes accumulate soil, progressively reducing the pipe bore until blockage occurs. It is then very difficult for the crew to locate the exact position of the blockage. When located, the pipe must be opened for clearance whereupon obnoxious waste erupts in an uncontrollable flow. These pipes are often in the passenger or crew area, above deck heads, or behind bulkheads. A pipe blockage could cut off a whole deck of passenger or crew cabins, causing serious complaints. Using the right products will prevent this from happening.

What is Gamazyme?

Unitor™ Gamazyme are probiotic cleaners, specifcally designed for safe and effective treatment of drain lines and grease traps, cleaning and odour control, and septic and waste treatment onboard ships.

How it works

Gamazyme cleaners contain active bacteria cultures from nature that digest organic fat and grease, converting it into water and CO2. In cleaning and odour control applications, microbial action penetrates cracks and pores of surfaces where soils collect, destroying residual organics and the odours they cause. When all of the soil is digested, the bacteria die of starvation. The by-products of this bioenzymatic action are harmless CO2 and water.

 

Why Gamazyme?

Traditional cleaning chemicals usually involve toxic chemicals such as caustic acids, chlorine and other disinfectants that are potentially harmful to the user and the environment. These cleaners break down the soil, lift it into suspension and carry it away. These hazardous slops containing soil and chemical cleaners are then moved into the environment. Furthermore, the biological activity in the sewage treatment plant may be rendered useless by these toxic cleaners as they can kill the bacteria required for an effective degradation of the sewage. 

Unitor™ Gamazyme cleaners are an effective and environmentally safe alternative.

Safer

Probiotic cleaners are safer for the environment and human health compared to chemical products.

Residual Cleaning

Continue cleaning well after the product has been applied, therefore contributing to increased productivity.

Good Bacteria

Through natural competition for food and resources, the non-pathogenic “good” bacteria can help to displace pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria.

Deep Cleaning

The micro-organisms can penetrate into very small cracks and crevices, eliminating soils and malodours that traditional chemicals cannot remove.

Better Return On Investment

Probiotic cleaners provide a much larger return on investment because they reduce labour costs, protect assets and infrastructure and do not need to be applied as often.

Learn more about our Gamazyme solutions