I would like to warn all of you that ethylene glycol(and probably
polypropylene glycol) are poisonous!  I have friend who recently lost a
dog due to auto coolant poisoning.
I suggest that you take it to a repair shop or oil change place where
they recycle it.

Pius
85 westy, currently not running.

-----Original Message-----
From: Alistair Bell [mailto:albell@uvic.ca] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 10:13 AM
To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: Your Van might just need a flush....was Van runs hot in
traffic jams

on 2/4/03 6:52 am, John Rodgers wrote:

> Good reasons for choosing a biodegradable coolant.
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>

Theoretically and actually, both polypropylene glycol and ethylene
glycol
are biodegradable. Some carbon bonds there to use for energy!

How do I know? Well I have used both as a carbon source in bacterial
fermentation experiments years ago when involved in biodegradation of
de-icing fluids project.

The rub is... its an ill-defined consortium of bacteria (and maybe
fungi)
isolated from chronically polluted ground that does the degrading.

So, if the weather is warm, and you can make a nice matrix of soil, well
aerated and kept moist, with some garden fertiliser, all on a impervious
"basin"...

:)

(extra points to those who can see one of the challenges bio-remediation
of
de-icing fluids...hint, when are the fluids used? extra bonus points to
those who can guess what is often done with the recovered de-icing
fluids,
no points to those who can guess what used to be done with de-icing
fluids -
"gee mum, why is that creek still flowing in January?")

Alistair