Frequent Asked Questions
Some common terms used to describe biological products include bacterial, bio-enzyme, probiotic, microorganisms, bacilli, bacillus based, microbes, and microbial.
Terms used to describe eco-conscious products include natural, organic, green, sustainable, biodegradable, ecological, environmentally friendly, and safe for the environment.
The key distinction between eco-friendly and biological products lies in their impact on the environment. An eco-friendly product refers to a chemical product derived from sustainable sources, such as plant-based ingredients. These products typically break down and biodegrade in the environment over time, usually within days to weeks. However, it’s important to note that while eco-friendly products have minimal environmental impact, they don’t actively contribute to environmental improvement. In contrast, biological products are environmentally beneficial. When used, they introduce billions of beneficial microorganisms that remain on surfaces, get washed into drains, sinks, urinals, and toilets, and eventually enter waste systems like grease traps, septic systems, pump stations, and greywater systems, all of which feed into wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). These microbes actively aid in the permanent digestion of organic waste, providing significant environmental benefits.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms that lack well-defined organelles like a nucleus. Their cells are typically surrounded by a rigid cell wall and a plasma membrane. Bacteria contain all the genetic material needed for reproduction, which occurs through simple cellular division. These organisms exhibit a wide range of nutrient requirements and metabolic capabilities. Some bacteria need only minerals and a carbon source, such as sugar, to grow, while others require more complex nutrients. Bacteria play a crucial role in recycling nutrients in the environment by breaking down organic matter into simpler compounds like carbon dioxide and water, and cycling key elements such as nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. They are also capable of migrating to nutrient-rich areas essential for their growth and can attach to surfaces to form communities called biofilms
An enzyme is a protein that acts as a catalyst. The enzyme is responsible for accelerating the rate of a reaction in which various substrates are converted to products through the formation of an enzyme-substrate complex. In general, each type of enzyme catalyses only one type of reaction and will operate on only one type of substrate. This is often referred to as a “lock and key” mechanism. Consequently, enzymes are highly specific and are able to discriminate between slightly different substrate molecules. In addition, enzymes exhibit optimal catalytic activity over a narrow range of temperature, ionic strength and pH.
The specificity of an enzyme for its substrate is generally a function of the enzyme’s “active site” or binding site. The structure of the protein determines the range of substrates or “keys” that can fit into the lock. Most enzymes are exquisitely specific. That is, they react only with one specific substrate. Some enzymes, however, have a more flexible active site that can accommodate molecules that are closely related to the target substrate. In this case, there is typically a preferred substrate with which the enzyme reacts at a higher rate than with related compounds.
Enzymes are not living things. They have no ability to adapt to changing conditions or substrate sources. Their level of activity is a function of these conditions. If they are not in optimal conditions, their activity decreases or stops.
Bacteria have the ability to produce a wide range of enzymes, allowing them to adapt to their environment. These enzymes break down various organic materials such as fats and oils (lipase), cellulose and paper (cellulase), xylan (xylanase), proteins (protease), starches (amylase), urea (urease), esters (esterase), phosphate groups from proteins (phosphatase), and non-cellulose polysaccharides (hemicellulose). It’s important to note that these materials are complex polymers, requiring more than one type of enzyme to be efficiently broken down into their basic building blocks. Nature provides specific “teams” of enzymes to degrade each type of polymer. For example, breaking down cellulose into glucose units requires three classes of enzymes—endocellulases, exocellulases, and cellobiohydrolases—collectively called cellulases, but each class targets a different part of the polymer. Individually, no single cellulase can efficiently degrade cellulose. Bacteria can produce the full “team” of enzymes necessary to degrade and consume organic materials in their environment, and they can even generate multiple enzyme “teams” simultaneously to break down various substances.
Bacteria can adapt to a range of conditions and food supplies. They can change the type of enzymes that they produce if the food source changes. They can protect themselves from changes in environmental conditions by forming colonies, biofilms, or spores. Importantly, bacteria live in “communities” made up of different species. Each species fills a biological niche, and the population of each species grows or declines in response to the environment. For example, a community may contain certain species that efficiently degrade grease, and other species that thrive on cellulose.
All enzymes have a limited half-life (minutes to days, depending on conditions). They are proteins that are biodegradable and are subject to damage by other enzymes (proteases), chemicals, and extremes of pH and temperature. An important difference between enzyme-based products and bacterial products is that the enzymes can’t repair themselves or reproduce. Living bacteria, however, produce fresh enzymes on a continuous basis and can bounce back following mild environmental insults. Bacteria however, depending on the prevalent conditions, can survive and thrive for days, weeks and even many months.
Enzyme production begins as soon as bacteria start to grow, as the cells need to obtain nutrients from their environment. To do this, they secrete enzymes that break down the available food sources. The amount of enzymes produced varies depending on the bacterial species, culture conditions (such as nutrients, temperature, and pH), and growth rate. Hydrolytic enzymes like proteases, amylases, and cellulases are typically produced in concentrations ranging from milligrams per liter to grams per liter. Our products are specifically formulated to include various strains of microorganisms that have been selectively cultured in specialized media to alter their enzyme production. This allows them to produce a wide variety of enzymes, including different types of proteases, lipases, amylases, xylanase, and urease, depending on the nutrients that need to be broken down.
They are degraded over time if bacteria or appropriate enzymes are present. The more complex the “food”, the more time and enzyme it will take to break it down.
The wider the variety of enzymes, the more effective and efficient the degradation. Lipases, for example, vary in the range of fatty acid chain length that they can accept as substrate when attacking triglycerides. Some prefer triglycerides with short-chain fatty acid substituents, others prefer long chain fatty acids. One or two lipases in a product will not be effective for all triglycerides.
Most enzymes and bacteria are hydrophilic, or water-loving. They naturally repel oil but can exist at an oil/water interface. Under certain conditions when the oil concentration is much greater than the water concentration, an emulsion can form in which water drops containing enzymes/bacteria are dispersed throughout the oil.
Aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria do not generate the offensive compounds (e.g., hydrogen sulphide) that cause odours.
Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for causing many serious diseases, such as pneumonia (Streptococcus pneumoniae), meningitis (Haemophilus influenzae), strep throat (Group A Streptococcus), food poisoning (Escherichia coli and Salmonella), and various other infections. However, despite these harmful bacteria, the human and animal bodies host trillions of beneficial bacteria that are vital to our survival and the health of the planet. These beneficial microbes help us digest food, absorb nutrients, and produce essential vitamins. Additionally, they may protect us from harmful bacteria by outcompeting them in the gut, producing acids that inhibit their growth, and stimulating the immune system. A simple way to understand this is to think about why doctors often prescribe probiotics along with antibiotics. Antibiotics kill both harmful and beneficial microbes in the gut, and probiotics are necessary to restore the balance of good bacteria and promote healthy gut function.
The bacteria are in spore form and are measured in a SANAS Accredited Laboratory using a Total Plate Count (TPC) to British Pharmacopoeia standards. This is then counted as Colony Forming Units (CFU) and this is measured per millilitre (for liquids) and per grams (for powdered or solid products). The minimum typical count in finished formulations is typically a function of 1 x 107 per ml or g (10 million per ml or g, or also indicated as 1E7). This then increases to as high as 1 x 109 per ml or g (1 billion per ml or g, or also indicated as 1E9). It is important to note that these counts apply to end of shelf life as a minimum count. At the time of manufacture, they are in fact vastly higher than these guaranteed minimums, often as high as 1 x 1011 .
Unlike conventional chemical cleaners, which have limited applications, microbial cleaners provide a deeper, microscopic level of cleaning. Research indicates that surfaces cleaned with traditional chemical products can become recontaminated shortly after cleaning. In contrast, microbial cleaners enhance the longevity of cleanliness by penetrating microscopic cracks and crevices, continuously breaking down hidden grime and effectively controlling odor-causing bacteria long after application. Studies have demonstrated the superior performance of microbial cleaners. For instance, research in hospitals showed that probiotic cleaners help reduce the presence of drug-resistant bacteria. Another study comparing disinfectants, soaps, and probiotic cleaners concluded that naturally-derived cleaners can form stable, protective biofilms on surfaces, effectively excluding pathogens—something conventional chemicals cannot achieve.
Unpleasant smells are often caused by bad bacteria that multiply rapidly, especially in humid and warm conditions. Probiotics encapsulate and decompose the molecule that is releasing the unpleasant odour. They break down the whole odour molecule as a natural food source. Unlike bad bacteria, good probiotic bacteria do not create smells: the gases they produce when decomposing organic contamination are non-odorous. Competitive exclusion reduces the numbers of harmful bacteria and prevents them – and the accompanying odour – from returning, working for days after application and keeping surfaces and spaces free of odours for longer.
Probiotic cleaners are highly effective at disinfecting, but they do so through a COMPLETELY BIOLOGICAL PROCESS. When applied during normal cleaning, the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) take over the surface, occupying all available space. These probiotics outcompete harmful pathogens for space and nutrients, a well-established process known as “competitive exclusion.” This scientific principle states that two microorganisms competing for the same resources cannot coexist, and the weaker one will be eliminated.
Probiotic products are not only greywater system safe, but they immensely benefit greywater and septic systems. Our products are designed to maintain the delicate balance of your system, supporting and enhancing the beneficial microbes already at work in your tank.
Occasionally, new triggers may develop an airlock, when pockets of air are trapped by the flowing liquid, preventing the free flow of product. To fix this, simply unscrew the trigger from the bottle and hold it above the sink, ensuring the pipe remains in the liquid. Pump the trigger a few times until the liquid starts to flow through. Once the airlock is cleared, you can securely screw the trigger back onto the bottle.
Occasionally, after use or filling, air in the headspace may contract, causing negative pressure inside the bottle. This pressure can cause the side panels to collapse as they compensate for the reduced product volume. To resolve this, remove the cap or trigger and gently squeeze the sides of the bottle to release some air, then re-attach the cap or trigger. Environmental factors such as altitude, temperature, and humidity can also affect internal and external pressures, leading to paneling. Bottle paneling does not have any impact on product performance.