• Used in industrial chemical processing since the 1950s, 1,4-dioxane is a forever chemical and likely human carcinogen
• 1,4-dioxane is found in more than 20% of drinking water throughout the US, with regulations already in place in 18 states

Allonnia, the bio-ingenuity company dedicated to extracting value where others see waste, today announced the launch of Allonnia 1,4 D-Stroy™, a bioremediation solution capable of degrading 99% of 1,4-dioxane, which has been called a forever chemical, in contaminated groundwater. For chemical manufacturers, industrial facilities, landfills, or superfund sites, 1,4 D-Stroy utilizes the power of nature – highly specialized microbes – to provide a sustainable, low-cost and low-maintenance solution that feeds on 1,4-dioxane and breaks it down into water and carbon dioxide as the only byproducts. Allonnia discovered this naturally occurring microbe and optimized it for simple deployment across a variety of environments.

The chemical 1,4-dioxane has been widely used for industrial chemical processes since the 1950s, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists it as one of the most prevalent emerging contaminants and a likely human carcinogen. While there are no federal regulations governing 1,4-dioxane levels in drinking water, wastewater or other water sources, 18 states have established some degree of regulation or recommended guidelines. Regulatory pressures are also growing on a global scale, with the European Chemicals Agency adding 1,4-dioxane to its Candidate List of Hazardous Chemicals in 2021.

“The world has long been aware of the environmental and health risks associated with pervasive chemicals like 1,4-dioxane, and yet the public and private sector continue to face challenges in finding efficient, cost-effective, and scalable solutions,” said Kent Sorenson, Chief Technology Officer at Allonnia. “With today’s launch of 1,4 D-Stroy, we can now provide industrial manufacturers, state and federal municipalities, and remediation contractors with a natural solution for removing one of the most prevalent emerging contaminants from drinking water that millions of people count on every day.”

Bioremediation has been touted as a potential solution for groundwater contamination for decades, but until recently the proposed solutions lacked the performance and efficiency to be viable commercially. Allonnia explored and tested a variety of candidate organisms from the literature and genomic databases to find the most effective one for commercial scale deployment. The naturally-occurring organism in 1,4 D-Stroy has proven in field tests to degrade 99% of 1,4-dioxane in contaminated groundwater.

Compared to other commercial filtration systems or chemical removal platforms in the market, 1,4 D-Stroy requires no capital investment and is delivered onsite via a portable, 18-liter, stainless steel dispersion vessel. The returnable system is designed to dose precise amounts of the microbes to the contaminated water, where they engage with 1,4-dioxane, ingest it, and render it harmless. Initial pilot programs have taken place in Orange County, California, where Allonnia and engineering firm Stantec eliminated more than 90% of 1,4-dioxane from two contaminated wells in the span of 11 weeks.

“As we see more government attention placed on environmental remediation solutions and techniques, Allonnia is doubling down on our commitment to creating sustainable solutions for 1,4-dioxane bioremediation that can be deployed at scale,” said Chuck Price, Chief Commercial Officer, Allonnia. “Regulators and government officials can now consider solutions like this when passing environmental legislation or evaluating 1,4-dioxane limits, and private companies can reduce potential liabilities from contaminated water via a simple-to-use, natural solution.”

1,4 D-Stroy is the second commercial product Allonnia offers targeting forever chemicals. Surface Active Foam Fractionation (SAFF®) is a sustainably engineered PFAS remediation tool that uses a combination of aeration and vacuum to ‘foam out’ 99% of target PFAS molecules in water. Allonnia offers SAFF through an exclusive North American distribution agreement with OPEC Systems, and its US subsidiary EPOC Enviro. 

At SynBioBeta (May 23-25; Oakland, California), Allonnia Chief Executive Officer Nicole Richards will host a session titled Effectively Scaling Transformational Biology into Commercial Products, during which she will discuss Allonnia’s ongoing bioremediation work and the process of scaling biotech solutions like 1,4 D-Stroy from a petri dish to a commercial product.