A Washington State firm plans to deploy billions to clean up toxic chemicals and remediate brownfields. Not billions of dollars – billions of worms.

WALLA WALLA, WA, UNITED STATES, April 18, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Washington State firm plans to use billions to clean up toxic chemicals and remediate brownfields. Not billions of dollars – billions of worms.

Composting worms, scientifically known as eisenia fetida, are considered the undisputed champion of the backyard composting world. Just about every grade school student has used a worm compost bin to breakdown organic wastes like banana peels and apple cores. Tens of thousands of do-it-yourselfers across the country use worm composting to manage organic wastes one pound at a time and then use the compost to amend the soil.
But now, a Walla Walla, WA firm thinks they have the supply required for large scale bioremediation. Very large. Their inaugural supply source is a seven-acre, dairy-based biofilter that treats dairy wastewater. Once the filter has done its job over 18 months, the result is thousands of yards of “vermisubstrate” ready to be repurposed; and millions upon millions of worms.

“There is no question among the scientific community; vermiremediation always works at some level,” explains Russ Davis, President of Organix. “The goal is to determine what the potential is, and define the methodologies and protocols required to maximize effectiveness at a commercial scale for remediation. Aside from our first-hand experience, a quick internet search reveals hundreds of bench-scale white papers focused on the efficacy of using worms to remove toxic chemicals and various contaminants all over the world.”

The move to launch their green remediation “technology” couldn’t have come at a better time for the Company, as state and federal agencies are tasked with looking for more ‘green’ methods for remediation. “It’s hard to get much greener than worms for soil remediation – worms are a primary factor for what makes soil biologically active and productive.”

Organix stakeholders and clients were pleased when in a recent trial, the Company successfully removed between 95% to 99% of PCBs from a wastewater stream over a six-month period. Aside from PCB removal in wastewater, Organix has several other trials underway or about to begin. “Our goal,” continues Davis, “is to determine how many contaminants we can either breakdown, sequester, contain, or control. Aside from PCBs, we are targeting hydrocarbons (PAH), PFAS & PFOAS, DDT, arsenic and others.

Organix uses two methods for toxic cleanup: 1) employing the worm-based biofilter to remove contaminants from wastewater, or 2) remove contaminants from in situ solids using the vermisubstrate from a non-toxic, wastewater treatment facility. This substrate material contains worms, cocoons, worm habitat, castings and worm biology.

The Company currently has approximately 20,000 yards of vermisubstrate in Washington State preparing to deploy for brownfield and toxic chemical cleanup applications. “There is a pipeline of material for the next 15 years at this site with more under systems construction. So, we are hopeful that soon we will be able to tackle just about any size remediation or reclamation project anywhere.”

Organix, Inc., is an environmental consulting and composting firm based in Walla Walla, Washington and has been developing solutions to organic waste challenges for almost two decades.

Russ Davis
Organix, Inc
+1 509-527-0526
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