Use of Ozone-Photocatalytic Oxidation ( O3 /UV/ TiO2 ) and Biological Remediation for Treatment of Produced Water from Petroleum Refineries

• Published in: Journal of environmental engineering (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 136; no. 1; pp. 40 - 45
• Main Authors: Corrêa, Albertina X. R, Tiepo, Erasmo N, Somensi, Cleder A, Sperb, Rafael M, Radetski, Claudemir M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reston, VA American Society of Civil Engineers 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Ammonia; Applied sciences; Bacteria; Biological; Biological and physicochemical phenomena; Continental surface waters; Exact sciences and technology; Fish; General purification processes; Natural water pollution; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Oxidation; Poecilia vivipara; Pollution; TECHNICAL PAPERS; Titanium dioxide; Toxicity; Ulva; Vibrio fischeri; Waste water; Wastes; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Water treatment; Biodegradability; Toxicity; Ecotoxicity; Petroleum refineries; Waste water; Decontamination; Batchwise; Chemical oxygen demand; Bacteria; Stream; Oxidation; Biological treatment; Reactor; Photocatalysis; Wastewater management; O3/UV/TiO2; Laboratory scale; Ozone; Ammonia; Oxidation process; Industrial waste; Ultraviolet radiation; Biosorption; Biological processes; Phenols; Water pollution; Titanium oxide; Produced water; Advanced oxidation process
• ISSN: 0733-9372; 1943-7870
• DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000111

Batch ozone-photocatalytic oxidation ( O3 /UV/ TiO2 ) and biological remediation by macroalgae were performed in a laboratory-scale reactor to evaluate the efficiency of these processes in the degradation of contaminants and/or decrease in the ecotoxicity of produced waters of petroleum refineries. The effectiveness of the hybrid advanced oxidation process followed by biological treatment was evaluated through the physicochemical time-course analysis and ecotoxicological tests. The results showed that after 5 min of treatment the O3 /UV/ TiO2 combination was very effective and phenol concentration decreased by 99.9%, sulfide by 53.0%, COD by 37.7%, O&G by 5.2%, and ammonia by 1.9%. The following reductions in contaminants were obtained after 60 min of oxidation treatment: phenols 99.9%, O&G 98.2%, sulfide 97.2%, COD 89.2%, and ammonia 15%. The acute toxicity tests with the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (Lumistox) and the fish Poecilia vivipara showed a high toxicity of the raw effluents ( E (L) C50 <1.55% for both species), while after 60 min of treatment effluents showed lower acute toxicity toward bacteria ( E C50 =30.9% ) , but toxicity toward fish remained high ( E C50 =1.9% ) . Additional wastewater biotreatment with macroalgae Ulva spp. for wastewater depuration showed a significant toxicity reduction ( E C50 =89.2% for bacteria and E C50 =85.7% for fish), which was due to the biosorption/transformation of metals and ammonia compounds during the biological treatment. Thus, the physicochemical results showed that a combination of O3 /UV/ TiO2 for 10 min followed by macroalgae depuration seems to be a good option for cost effective treatment of produced water streams.