Microbial Contamination: The invisible enemy of fuel systems

Conostan (an Analytichem brand) has a new solution to a common – and serious – problem for petroleum products or systems. Introducing the new Conostan Microbial Contamination Testing Kit. It’s made in the U.S.A. and it’s in stock now and ready to order.

So why test? Microbial contamination may be one of the most potent enemies to your fuel and fuel systems. It can start small, maybe with just a trivial amount of water, but it can end up ballooning to a serious problem, bringing your business to a halt and requiring significant investment to fix. On this, the experts agree. According to ASTM D6469-20, (Standard Guide for Microbial Contamination in Fuels and Fuel Systems) “Uncontrolled microbial contamination in fuels and fuel systems remains a largely unrecognized but costly problem at all stages of the petroleum industry from crude oil production through fleet operations and consumer use.” If your industry relies on fuel systems, you’re at risk for microbial contamination. 

Even if you’re careful, your fuel can experience contamination. Microbes can be introduced to fuel during cooling stages of refinery processes, or at any point in transport or storage when bacteria and fungi are carried into the system on dust or water particles.   

If your fuel contains yeast, fungus, or bacteria, it can foul. In short, microbes can form films, stringy substances like oily gel or even solids. These can block fuel filters and other critical openings. And they can create an environment that leads to aggressive corrosion, specifically “microbiologically influenced corrosion” (MIC).  Once microbial contamination gets to this state, your fuel system, and maybe your business, is in trouble.

Like so many other situations, preventative maintenance is the best solution. In fact, it’s the key to avoiding a debilitating build-up of microbial contamination. Of course, for storage vessels, regular draining is an important maintenance step. But just as important across the board is careful monitoring of fuel and fuel tanks. This needs to occur on a regular basis. Effectively managing fuel systems calls for regular and frequent testing for microbes.

Conostan’s new Microbial Contamination Testing Kit (part number B9000 belongs in your arsenal.

The Conostan Microbial Contamination Testing Kit delivers easy-to-use testing capability and easy to interpret results. It’s good for both bacterial and fungal microbes. In fact, on-site operations managers can quickly test and within 48 to 72 hours have the data they need to make appropriate decisions. Then, a regular testing schedule keeps that important data front and center and means that you can act before a microbial build-up occurs.

It’s time to be prepared. Visit our online store or request a quote from our team.