Bioremediation of Diesel

[sailorboy1]

I had a fuel leak in the boat the other day and fuel ran from the stern, down under the aft berth, under the muffler, into some drain holes and finally into the bilge.

I will flush it, but doubt that will get all the diesel out. So has anyone here tried bioremediation to clean out a pocket of diesel/oil? How did it work out and what did you use?

Thanks

[JPA Cate]

Sorry, I don't know anything about it, but will follow curiously.

One question I have is how would you keep the bacteria from spreading to your tankage? and if it did, how would you then get rid of them???

Ann

PS. I would try with a TSP solution in hot water before I tried unknown technology, but I'm sure SB1 has a better idea of the chemistry involved than I do.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Sorry, I don't know anything about it, but will follow curiously.

One question I have is how would you keep the bacteria from spreading to your tankage? and if it did, how would you then get rid of them???

Ann

PS. I would try with a TSP solution in hot water before I tried unknown technology, but I'm sure SB1 has a better idea of the chemistry involved than I do.

How would they get into the tank from outside? But it is easy to add biocide to the fuel tank.

[sailorboy1]

well guess after I do all the flushing if there is still any diesel odor I will find out

[sailorboy1]

Haven't tried the bioremediation "bugs" yet. By far the biggest difference was made by getting the diesel wiped up. Just the amount of diesel soaked into 1/2 a oil absorption sheet is enough to make a noticable difference in the boat. Besides wiping up all the diesel I could reach/find I found pulling a hose way back aft and turning on slow does a good job of flushing the diesel into the main bilge when the diesel floats to top and those oil pads pick up.

I have a small ozone generator I am using to treat the interior and that appears to be working.

I got the below enzyme treatment, it didn't really seem to do anything:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XL3C6FR...roduct_details

[markxengineerin]

turning on slow does a good job of flushing the diesel into the main bilge when the diesel floats to top and those oil pads pick up.

This is a good technique, and the one I used when I accidentally filled a water tank w/ diesel (doh). After all the diesel was visibly gone (easy to see based on color), I flushed a few times with salt water, then a few times with fresh water and a little dawn detergent for good measure. The smell of diesel was totally gone after that and water all good.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by markxengineerin

This is a good technique, and the one I used when I accidentally filled a water tank w/ diesel (doh). After all the diesel was visibly gone (easy to see based on color), I flushed a few times with salt water, then a few times with fresh water and a little dawn detergent for good measure. The smell of diesel was totally gone after that and water all good.

That makes me feel good. I put water in my diesel tank, much less harmful to my health.

I now have color coded caps on my fills. Makes it harder to make a mistake. Although probably the best way to not make the mistake again is suffer through making it the first time. LOL

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I had a fuel leak in the boat the other day and fuel ran from the stern, down under the aft berth, under the muffler, into some drain holes and finally into the bilge.

I will flush it, but doubt that will get all the diesel out. So has anyone here tried bioremediation to clean out a pocket of diesel/oil? How did it work out and what did you use?

Thanks

well I tried it and it didn't seem to do anything

https://petrobuster.ca/

[SailingHarmonie]

"Bioremediation" of diesel in bilges happens all the time. It gradually consumes some components of diesel fuel, and leaves the rest behind as a hard sludge. Not very efficiently, but still happens.

There are two downsides:

It stinks to high heaven, way worse than fresh diesel, and without lots of oxygen aerated into the water/diesel mix it goes VERY slowly.

Adding things like TSP do NOTHING other than flush the diesel out the bilge. Illegal and nasty.

[sailorboy1]

guess topic was confusing