Petroleum Bacteria Comparison Trial: 73% Heavy Hydrocarbon Reduction in 15 Days

Results at a glance

Metric	Before	After (15 days)
Heavy C37-40 fraction	High, recalcitrant	Up to 73% lower
Mid-range C15-28, C29-36	Elevated	Substantially reduced
Petroleum odor	Strong	Eliminated in 8 days
Vs two competitor products	Baseline	Outperformed all

The problem

A petroleum-contaminated soil site in China exhibited extremely high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations dominated by mid-chain and long-chain fractions, with strong hydrocarbon odors indicating active volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Heavy petroleum compounds typically resist conventional biological treatment, creating long projected remediation timelines and budget exposure for site owners and contractors. The project required a high-CFU microbial bioremediation solution capable of accelerating petroleum degradation across the difficult C29-36 and C37-40 fractions, reducing overall cleanup duration, and outperforming standard petroleum-degrading bacteria products available in the market. The trial compared Petroleum Treat (PT), a high-CFU petroleum hydrocarbon degrading bacteria blend, against two competing microbial products head-to-head under matched soil and treatment conditions to isolate microbial performance as the differentiating variable.

Before, during, and after

Before
Initial soil analysis showed severe petroleum contamination across multiple carbon ranges, including C15-28, C29-36, and C37-40 fractions. TPH concentrations exceeded 15,000 ppm in several fractions, with strong petroleum odors indicating active volatile and semi-volatile hydrocarbons. Based on baseline conditions and the dominance of heavy long-chain hydrocarbons, traditional remediation methods were expected to require extended treatment periods to achieve meaningful TPH reduction, particularly across the most recalcitrant C37-40 fractions where heavy hydrocarbon biodegradation typically progresses slowly under conventional biological approaches.

After
After only 15 days of treatment, Petroleum Treat (PT) achieved significant TPH reduction across all measured hydrocarbon fractions and fully eliminated petroleum odors within the first 8 days, neutralizing volatile and semi-volatile compounds rapidly. Laboratory results showed PT consistently outperformed two competing microbial products, delivering up to 73% reduction in the difficult heavy C37-40 hydrocarbon fraction and substantially higher removal across the mid-range C15-28 and C29-36 fractions. These results reflect early-stage biodegradation only, and continued application would further reduce remaining hydrocarbons as microbial activity continues to mineralize residual petroleum compounds. The comparison trial confirms Petroleum Treat's ability to rapidly initiate and sustain petroleum bioremediation, significantly shortening cleanup timelines for high-TPH soil remediation projects. For environmental remediation contractors, project managers comparing microbial product performance, and site owners working under tight cleanup deadlines, this trial demonstrates what high-CFU petroleum-degrading bacteria can deliver against the toughest hydrocarbon fractions.

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Product used in this trial

Petroleum Treat (PT)

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