The effectiveness of a microbial product to biodegrade fats, oils and grease in food service facility sanitary sewer lines and grease interceptors

An experimental case study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of a live vegetative microbial product to completely degrade fats, oils and grease (FOG) in a food service facility grease interceptor, and to assess the economic impacts of potential uses of this product. The case study took place at an Applebee's restaurant located on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst, New York.; This investigation indicated increased microbial activity inside the grease interceptor with the use of the product. The thickness of the grease mantle over the three-month baseline monitoring period showed a steady increase. The grease mantle increased in thickness and then leveled off during the three-month product addition period. Comparisons of baseline effluent FOG concentrations and product addition effluent FOG concentrations indicated a statistical difference between the data sets.; Although microbial activity seemed to be breaking down FOG in the interceptor, 62% of the effluent FOG concentrations observed during the product addition monitoring period violated the local municipal discharge limit of 100 mg/L. In this particular application where compliance with the Sewer Use Ordinance is judged on effluent FOG concentrations, the use of this product did not achieve results that would be accepted by municipal authorities.; For the restaurant to realize a cost savings by using the liquid product, it would have to increase the cleaning frequency of the interceptor to beyond once every 6.3 months. No cost savings was possible with the dry product for the restaurant studied.