CHITOREM^® Approved by
North Carolina Department of Water Quality for Use as Remediation Injectant

August 26, 2008

JRW Bioremediation, L.L.C.’s CHITOREM^® SC-20 and SC-80 chitin complex has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Water Quality for use as a remediation injectant.  The approval came after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health – Epidemiology Section, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch conducted a health risk evaluation. 

The evaluation identified risks associated with the use of CHITOREM^® SC-20 and SC-80 that are consistent with JRW standard operating procedures, namely that proper personal protective equipment should be worn when handling CHITOREM^®, the material should not be released into the environment in an uncontrolled manner, proper housekeeping should be followed, and that the material should not be applied to existing or future wells and surface waters.

CHITOREM^® chitin complex is a natural biopolymer manufactured in the U.S.A. that slowly degrades providing bioavailable hydrogen to facilitate bioremediation of chlorinated solvents, perchlorate, metals and mine impacted waters. JRW Bioremediation is the licensee of US Patent 6,589,776 issued July 8, 2003 and owner of US Patent 7,138,059 published October 7, 2004 issued November 21, 2006. Additional patents are pending. 

The National Science Foundation sponsored a pilot-scale field test conducted at the Distler Brickyard Superfund site near Louisville, Kentucky using CHITOREM^®.  The pilot test combined the use of hydraulic fracturing with anaerobic bioremediation. The primary objectives of the field test were to determine if fracturing would enhance the permeability of a geologic formation predominated by clay and if the addition of chitin complex would promote anaerobic reductive dechlorination. Field data confirmed earlier laboratory data and indicated that active degradation of trichloroethene occurred in the treatment area.  As of March 2007, the EPA listed the Distler Brickyard Site as “Construction Completed” or as a site where “all immediate threats are eliminated and all long-term threats are under control.”

For additional information contact: Mike Sieczkowski, Technical Sales Director, JRW  (919) 483-5544, ext 122.