There are various septic system bacteria additives on the market, which contain both bacteria and enzymes to aid in keeping septic tanks or AWTS functioning efficiently between pumpings. Many products market themselves as maintenance solutions by being flushed through regularly to keep your septic tank or AWTS working optimally.
Septic tanks contain highly specific ecosystems of bacteria that thrive within them, so the addition of yeast will not increase performance.
Aerobic Bacteria
Bacteria are one of the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth. To gain energy for growth, bacteria convert organic molecules such as sugars and fats to ATP using oxygen (O2) as an electron acceptor; they may also use other electron acceptors like nitrate, sulfate and carbonate molecules during anaerobic respiration processes.
Human and animal bodies contain aerobic bacteria. While some may be essential to our health, others can cause infections called anaerobic infections.
Obligate anaerobes cannot survive without oxygen, while facultative anaerobes may do so, though they typically prefer aerobic conditions for growth. Some obligate anaerobes may tolerate lower atmospheric oxygen concentrations – around 20 percent is considered optimal – than most tissues typically experience.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an example of an anaerobe bacteria which can infiltrate humans, causing pneumonia, urinary tract infections and septic thrombophlebitis. It forms part of the normal microflora of mucous membranes found in mouth, intestines and vagina and is often treated for cancer or with antibiotics to weaken immune systems; Pseudomonas can even infiltrate patients being treated for cancer or with antibiotics.
Many disease-causing aerobic bacteria are also anaerobes. Examples include Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes tuberculosis and Leptospirosis as well as Bacillus anthracis which produces anthrax; they tend to live and remain dormant in soil environments.
Aerobic bacteria play an integral part in waste digestion in septic tanks and leach fields. They aid digestion of fats, oils, proteins and other solid waste by digesting the waste products contained within. Furthermore, they produce nitrites and nitrates which increase soil fertility.
Most aerobic bacteria use photosynthesis to metabolize carbon dioxide and release its energy to break down organic compounds, creating molecular oxygen for release into the atmosphere and enriching soil with nitrogen. Furthermore, aerobic bacteria degrade carbon contaminants found in effluent from septic tanks while helping nitrites and nitrates be taken up by plants in leach fields – the bacteria harvested from each septic tank are harvested back out into leach fields where they continue their work.
Enzymes
Enzymes are proteins that speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions within cells by lowering activation energy requirements for starting reactions and stabilizing transition states, thus enabling reactions to begin quickly enough to sustain life. Most metabolic reactions require enzymes for maximum effectiveness at their physiological rates.
An enzyme works by binding to its substrate at its active site; when this happens, a key-shaped space within the enzyme’s active site becomes available for binding with specific types of molecules – an area commonly known as its “substrate complex.” Since enzymes only bind with certain substrate molecules (for instance “urease”, which breaks down urea).
Catalysis occurs when an active site on an enzyme and its substrate molecule form an interaction, creating a bond. This bond can either break or combine chemical bonds of its substrate molecule, changing its chemical structure – often known as chemical transformation.
Each enzyme has a distinctive structure that determines its catalytic capabilities. Each amino acid sequence forms into a long chain that folds to form its unique three-dimensional structure; their order determines this unique three-dimensionality; even small changes can significantly change an enzyme’s structure and function.
Many types of enzymes exist naturally and are classified according to the reaction they catalyze or the cell region they belong. There are six major classes of enzymes: oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, isomerases, ligases and translocases.
Most enzymes found within our bodies are tailored specifically for their environment and operate best within a narrow temperature range. Outside this window, enzymes become ineffective or can even become deactivated if exposed to extreme temperatures, acidic environments or alkaline environments for extended periods. If exposed for too long to such environments, an enzyme will eventually lose its activity, known as denaturing.
Dissolving Fats and Oils
As your wastewater leaves your home through drains and toilets, it flows directly into a septic tank for further treatment by natural bacteria present. Heavy solids and bits of plastic settle at the bottom in the form of sludge while lighter substances such as grease float to the top as scum layer. Effluent, the remaining liquid in the middle layer, then flows on into your drain field for additional treatment.
Your septic system contains bacteria that don’t need oxygen in order to live and thrive, known as anaerobic bacteria. They work hard at breaking down solid waste in your tank so it can pass into the leach field more easily.
Some individuals turn to septic tank additives, such as bacteria and enzymes, in an attempt to foster more bacteria growth faster. But such additives often outnumber existing colonies in a tank and can damage its ecosystem in the process.
Many septic tank additives boast of being eco-friendly, yet there’s little proof. Many products formulated to promote aerobic and anaerobic bacteria growth may overrun your natural population of bacteria in your septic system and create unpleasant odors within your home, leading to faster clogging times and unpleasant odors in your home.
Septic tank additives can wreak havoc on both your soil and system. Root penetration becomes restricted while water evaporation becomes diminished as they restrict air movement through drainage fields.
Septic tank additives with bacteria endospores can also provide protection. Stressed bacteria produces endospores as a defense mechanism against adverse environmental conditions; their protective coating allows them to survive high pressure, UV radiation and chemical destruction.
Instead of turning to septic tank additives for help, try keeping your bacteria and enzymes as healthy as possible by not adding unnecessary substances, like paper towels and cat litter that don’t belong in there. It would also be wise to utilize a regular dose of bacteria additive to maintain an ecosystem-friendly septic system between pumpings.
Dissolving Solids
As its name implies, dissolving solids involves breaking apart solid particles into individual molecules and atoms when mixed with liquid. While this phenomenon does occur universally, only matter that can dissolve in water is known as being “soluble” while anything not dissolving into its components is called being “insoluble”.
Dissolving solids involves an interaction between charged particles in a solute, commonly known as solubilizers, and uncharged molecules of a solvent, known as solutes. Solute particles interact with solvent molecules through any exposed surface area in contact with each other. Their interaction depends on energy available for breaking and forming bonds at the solute-solvent interface – this process is known as “solvation.”
Interaction between solutes and solvents is usually energetically advantageous, since bond formation requires less energy than its destruction elsewhere. For instance, particles with strong polar charges will attract and adhere to negatively charged water molecules, making the solid easier to dissolve.
This basic interaction takes place when one or more molecules from a solid dissolve in liquid solution, also referred to as colloid. As they separate from their intermolecular bonds and become microscopic in size, allowing for their dispersion throughout a new mixture without needing to be shaken vigorously first.
These particles can achieve this feat because the forces of gravity and electrostatic attraction remain similar, although now much smaller particles must be identified using a microscope for identification.
Dissolution of solids can be explained using the Particle Model of Matter. According to this model, every solid is composed of numerous microscopic particles linked by intermolecular bonds that collectively comprise its form. When dissolving, these individual particles break apart and diffuse throughout a liquid environment – otherwise the solid will remain in tact and won’t dissolve into smaller fragments.
