Physical Properties

Newman Zone® is an oil-in-water emulsion consisting of sub-micron droplets of uniform size.  Sophisticated factory processing and proprietary additives consistently produce emulsions with oil droplets between 0.15 and 0.60 microns in size with a median size of 0.30 microns.  We report droplet size distribution according to mass; i.e., half of the mass of oil is in droplets smaller than ~0.30 microns.  Reporting size distribution by droplet count can hide the fact that most of the oil mass can be in droplets larger than 1 or 2 microns and still have many smaller droplets that skew the statistics.  The sub-micron droplets produce a kinetically stable emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) that prevents the oil from separating from the water.

The small and uniform droplet size means that none of the droplets are large enough to clog aquifer pores.  When diluted for injection (0.5-5.0% oil by weight), Newman Zone® has a viscosity that is essentially the same as water.  Hence, it disperses easily in water, pumps as easily as water, and moves through even fine grained materials in a more predictable manner.  Based on personal observations and client reports, we believe that dilute Newman Zone® can be injected anywhere that neat water can be injected.  When diluted, Newman Zone® has essentially the same specific gravity and viscosity as water.  By injecting a single dose of diluted Newman Zone®, the operator can avoid potential distribution problems that may arise from injecting a concentrated dose of EVO and then trying to chase it with water.  In the latter case, there is both a specific gravity and a viscosity difference between the two fluids which may cause the chase water to pipe through the EVO and result in very poor distribution of oil in the treatment zone.

The image on the left shows the best available field processing. The image on the right shows the Newman Zone® factory emulsion.

There is a second advantage to a smaller droplet size in an oil-in-water emulsion.  Our droplets are small enough to form a kinetically stable emulsion.  This means that the droplets want to stay apart and that it is very difficult to break the emulsion.  Under normal conditions and uses, we have never had our emulsion break and have the oil separate to the top of the water.  The Newman Zone® emulsion breaks when bacteria are introduced to the product and degrade the surfactants that ordinarily maintain the emulsion. 

Because of the production techniques and kinetically stable emulsion, we can manufacture Newman Zone® and store it in our refrigerated warehouse for several years without any change in emulsion properties.  Although we recommend that you use Newman Zone® within a month or so of delivery, we recognize that it is not unusual for projects to be delayed just before or even during injection.  Totes of Newman Zone® have sat on site, unrefrigerated, for as long as four to six months without degradation.  The only instances of oil separation that have been reported to us have been the result of operators opening and partially using totes and then letting them sit on site for six months to two years. 

Newman Zone Formulations

Newman Zone® is available in different formulations to answer the site-specific needs of individual projects.  Please contact us for assistance in selecting the formulation most appropriate for your site. 

Newman Zone® is an electron donor (hydrogen) and a source of organic carbon for bacteria.  We do not add nutrients such as vitamin B12 or yeast extract because these amendments are not needed in the majority of sites.  A second reason for not adding these amendments to Newman Zone® is that there is no magic proportion of the amendment to EVO that is optimal for all sites.  We can provide either amendment if a client so desires, and each can easily be blended with Newman Zone® on-site. 

Some sites simply do not have the microbial cultures required for complete dechlorination of chlorinated solvents in ground water.  We do not supply such cultures for bioaugmentation.  Also note that the introduction of such cultures to ground water requires absolutely anaerobic conditions.  This process cannot be simply added to the routine injection of EVO.

Newman Zone® is produced according to food-industry standards and is pasteurized as part of the manufacturing process to ensure stability and shelf-life in a pH neutral product.  All ingredients are food grade and Kosher.  Unlike larger droplet emulsified vegetable oils, Newman Zone® is kinetically stable with no oil/water separation occurring in either dilute or concentrated emulsions.  Refrigerated shelf-life exceeds three years, and the unrefrigerated shelf-life in clean packaging or stainless steel bulk tanks is normally at least four months. 

Packaging Options

Bulk Tank packaging is the least expensive way to use Newman Zone® because the packaging costs are significantly less expensive.  For clients who have on-site tanks with a 6,000 gallon capacity, we can use food-grade tanker trucks with on-board pumps to deliver 45,000 to 50,000 pounds per load.  We can also arrange for rental tanks that 47,000 pounds and can be unloaded with pressurized air or nitrogen.  We load the tanks directly from the production line at a temperature of 40° F.  The tanks are super-insulated and have a product temperature rise of 1° F or less per day.

Totes contain 2,100 pounds net of Newman Zone® (255 gallons at room temperature) and have a gross weight of approximately 2,200 pounds each.  We try to maintain an inventory of at least 21,000 pounds (10 totes) each of our most popular formulations.  So depending on the size of your order and demand by other customers, we can have your shipment on a truck and out the door as early as the day after you call.  However, shipping on such short notice will be significantly more expensive than if you give us a week to arrange less expensive shipping.

Pails (5-gallon) are used to package portion of our regular production runs and we try to maintain an inventory of our most popular formulations.  Each pail contains 40 pounds net of Newman Zone®.  A pallet of 36 pails contains 1,440 points of product.

Although more costly because of the more expensive packaging, pails are a practical alternative to totes in situations where significantly less than 2,100 pounds of EVO are required or where site conditions preclude the movement of bulk tanks or totes from a shipping point to the point of use. No loading docks, lift-gate trucks, or fork-lifts are required.  Two can be carried by one person a useful distance.  A 55-gallon drum is too heavy to be safely moved by one person, and yet is small enough to tempt him to try.  Consequently, we do not package in drums.  

Injecting Newman Zone

We believe that uniform distribution of emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) is the key to successfully enhancing an anaerobic bioremediation project.  A uniform distribution of oil droplets means that there are no 'hot spots' around injection points where excessive amounts of an amendment can create adverse conditions for bacterial growth or for ground water flow.  It also means that there is sufficient oil at the periphery of the radius of influence around injection points to insure adequate bioremediation. 

The oil in Newman Zone® remains emulsified even at low concentrations and the diluted emulsion has a viscosity essentially that of water.  Therefore, we prefer to inject a relatively dilute emulsion in a single step as we are confident that the oil droplets move with the injected water.  The dilution allows the oil in Newman Zone® to be distributed over a much larger area around an injection well than would be the case with an injection of undiluted Newman Zone®.  The oil droplets may remain suspended in the injection water for a few days to a few weeks after injection.  Then the oil absorbs onto soil surfaces to act as a long-term electron donor.  Injecting a greater concentration of oil followed by chase water can lead to “two-phase” flow issues, particularly if the emulsion droplets are relatively large, which results in greater uncertainty about the distribution of the oil in the aquifer.

Advantages of Newman Zone

Newman Zone® Works

Newman Zone® is a blend of fast-release (sodium lactate) and slow-release (soybean oil) electron donors.  It is proven effective in reducing chlorinated solvent concentrations in ground water by rapidly stimulating initial microbial activity and by supporting long-term reductive dechlorination.  The fast-release donor rapidly creates anaerobic conditions in the subsurface.  The slow-release donor has been demonstrated to be effective for as long as five years.

Newman Zone® Is Cost-Effective

The vegetable oil in Newman Zone® has two advantages over other types of slow-release electron donors:  it is cheaper on a per pound basis and it has a greater hydrogen-release efficiency.  Hence, it has a very low cost per pound of hydrogen that is released.  It may be active for several years as a slow-release donor, unlike inexpensive soluble donors which are consumed in a few months.  Hence, the cost of multiple injections of soluble donors and the associated biofouling problems in wells are avoided.

Newman Zone® Is Easy to Use

Newman Zone® consists of submicron droplets that are smaller and more uniform in size than field-prepared emulsions or competitive products.  This means that when diluted, Newman Zone® will remain a kinetically stable emulsion, pump as easily as water, move through the aquifer in a more predictable manner, and will not clog pore throats and reduce aquifer permeability.