2008 article
Properties Influencing Fat, Oil, and Grease Deposit Formation
Keener, K. M., Ducoste, J. J., & Holt, L. M. (2008, December). WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH, Vol. 80, pp. 2241–2246.
Fat, oil, and grease (FOG) deposits are the reported cause of 50 to 75% of sanitary sewer overflows in the United States, resulting in 1.8 × 10 6 m 3 (500 mil. gal) of raw wastewater released into the environment annually. The objective of this research was to characterize the chemical and physical properties of FOG deposits. Twenty‐three cities from around the United States contributed FOG samples for the study. The FOG deposits showed a wide range in yield strength (4 to 34 kPa), porosity (10 to 24%), and moisture content (10 to 60%), suggesting uncontrolled formation processes. A majority of these deposits display hard, sandstonelike texture, with distinct layering effects, suggesting a discontinuous formation process. The results found that 84% of FOG deposits contained high concentrations of saturated fatty acids and calcium, suggesting preferential accumulation.