Peat Sorb – Sustainable Maintenance: Green without Compromise

Welcome to our Peat Sorb seminar! I have a brief amount of time to share some important highlights about the absorbent industry and the sectors we’re involved in, including oil and gas, government, and heavy industry.

It’s essential to understand that Peat Sorb is different from the absorbents you might be familiar with, like Oil-Dri and Oil Gator. Unlike those, Peat Sorb has no chemical reactivity with any substances and effectively absorbs all hydrocarbons. We have lab tests showing non-detect levels for mercury, arsenic, and various petroleum categories, including alcohols, ethers, and acids. Plus, it’s landfill-friendly and doesn’t leach.

We’ve also introduced a new blend that can absorb contaminated water and solidify it with hydrocarbons. The original blend focuses on separating hydrocarbons to provide clean water. This gives us two pathways to achieve economical and environmentally friendly results that protect our ecosystems.

Peat Sorb is shipped globally, and I’d like to briefly highlight its use in Nigeria, where soil toxicity and chemical variety are significant issues. In accredited lab tests, we identified a total petroleum count of over 31,000. After just one day of using Peat Sorb, that number dropped to 23,000, and by day 14, it was down to 1,700. While we didn’t continue testing beyond that, it’s clear we could have reached non-detect levels.

In Brazil, we helped Peat Sorb clean up 2 million liters of crude oil from the ocean, showcasing the significant impact we can have on both soil and water. These are just a few examples of what Peat Sorb can achieve.

No other absorbent can truly meet everyone’s needs, but so far, we have been successful in doing just that. For instance, BP, which operates the fifth-largest refinery in the U.S., contacted me on a Sunday about a significant spill—over an acre and six inches deep, primarily involving hydrogen sulfide and benzene. We were already prepared for spill response with our inventory and shipped our product to the site. It was effective, but then the situation changed when she called me back to say that melting snow and ice were complicating matters. Thankfully, we had our new blend, designed for absorbing both water and hydrocarbons. She expressed how invaluable our product was in that situation and is willing to speak to anyone in the oil and gas sector about how we set best practices and save the day.

In addition to oil and gas, there’s been a recent executive order in the U.S. mandating that federal agencies and contractors make specific purchasing decisions. This means Peat Sorb has become a required option under both President Biden and the previous administration. This recognition is significant, especially as it falls under the bio-based, bio-preferred program. Among all tested absorbents, we were the only one to receive USDA certification for having a net zero carbon footprint.

For those of you involved in heavy metals, I have a distributor in Peru who is contracted with local mines to provide Peat Sorb for all their mining needs.

Due to the ongoing war, there’s been significant talk about a global fertilizer shortage. Peat Sorb offers a solution, as it can be repurposed into a fertilizer. After absorbing heavy metals, oil, gas, or any other liquid, the peat breaks down and neutralizes the toxicity, resulting in nondetect levels of harmful substances. Additionally, peat is rich in essential minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. This allows us to deliver a nutrient-enriched additive to the soil, enhancing its quality and boosting crop yields. So, remember, when using Peat Sorb, don’t just dispose of it in a landfill—consider repurposing it for its added value.

QUESTION 1:
How do people typically dispose of Peat Sorb after, you know, after they’ve used it to absorb hydrocarbons?

Lynn Hurdman: First and foremost, we encourage the reuse of peat, as it may retain additional performance attributes and wicking capacity, making it not just a one-time use product. After it becomes saturated with hydrocarbons, it can be safely incinerated, and we have lab tests to support this. While it is also safe for landfill disposal since it won’t leach, local regulations might require you to follow hazardous waste guidelines, even though it is perfectly safe for landfills.

Christopher Williams: Understood. You mentioned incineration earlier. What kind of energy recovery can be achieved from the hydrocarbons during incineration?

Lynn Hurdman: Great question! According to our lab tests, one pound of encapsulated oil in Peat Sorb can generate 15,500 BTUs. So, yes, it can indeed be repurposed as a fuel alternative.

QUESTION 2:
For someone who is currently using clay-based absorbance or traditional oil dry, what are the biggest differences they would notice when switching to Peat Sorb?

Lynn Hurdman: I’m not quite following. Was there a spill where someone used Peat Sorb?

Christopher Williams: Yes, there was a spill, and it wasn’t the first one at that location. After using Peat Sorb, he noticed that it actually pulled the stain out of the concrete, which was due to oil contamination.

Lynn Hurdman: Right. That’s exactly what you should expect to see. Peat Sorb has wicking properties, allowing it to draw contaminants into its cellular structure. Additionally, peat serves as a foundational element for fossil fuels, which is why it seeks to reconnect with related substances and incorporates them into its structure.

QUESTION 3:
Can Peat Sorb absorb and break down polymer at wastewater treatment plants?

Lynn Hurdman: Yes, Peat Sorb can absorb polymers. It has been used in pulp and paper mills before, as polymers can be quite hazardous—similar to a banana peel in terms of risk. So, Peat Sorb effectively absorbs the polymer and helps break it down.

QUESTION 4:
Can Peat Sorb extract oil from concrete? As we’ve already mentioned, it has a tendency to pull contaminants out. A follow-up question might be about the timeline: if, for instance, the stain is five years old, could it still potentially remove it?

Lynn Hurdman: Yes, that’s the direction I was heading. Essentially, you need to re-liquefy and reactivate the oil since it’s trapped in the concrete. We use brake cleaning fluid, which seems effective in rejuvenating it. Then, you apply the Peat Sorb and agitate it with a stiff broom, allowing you to extract the oil from the pores again.

Christopher Williams: That’s really fascinating to me—being able to pull out a stain that’s been there for years. I might have to try that in my garage. We have another question: how much Peat Sorb is needed for a gallon of oil spill? What’s the one-to-one comparison?

Lynn Hurdman: Typically, we recommend a one-to-one ratio. However, viscosity does play a role. When we say one-to-one, it’s based on the viscosity of the oil being similar to SAE 30 motor oil. If the oil is thicker, you may need to adjust that to a two-to-one ratio. But we start with one-to-one based on SAE 30 motor oil viscosity.

QUESTION 5:
How heavy is Peat Sorb prior to being used and how heavy is it after cleaning the spill?

Lynn Hurdman: Our absorbent is incredibly lightweight. You can think of it like tobacco—it’s extremely light and consists of fine particulates. Even after absorbing hydrocarbons, it remains lighter compared to oil dry, which is made from heavy clay and tends to get heavier. So, we’re only slightly heavier due to the weight of the absorbed hydrocarbons.

QUESTION 6:
As a contractor who has experienced cleaning up spills, are you aware of any pipeline companies that will not allow the use of Peat Sorb?

Actually, Kinder Morgan is looking to purchase Peat Sorb in Texas, not BP. In fact, there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t want to buy it because it addresses the problem quickly, efficiently, economically, and in an environmentally friendly way.

If you have any more questions, we’ll be sending out a survey to everyone who attended to ensure we’re providing maximum value with these discussions. You can also reach out to us at 248-735-7000 or via email at office@usigroups.com.