Effects of untreated and treated oilfield-produced water on seed germination, seedling development, and biomass production of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 22; no. 20; pp. 15985 - 15993
• Main Authors: da Costa Marques, Mônica Regina, de Souza, Paulo Sérgio Alves, Rigo, Michelle Machado, Cerqueira, Alexandre Andrade, de Paiva, Julieta L., Merçon, Fábio, Perez, Daniel Vidal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodegradation; Biomass; Biota; Chemical oxygen demand; Contaminants; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Electrodes; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Germination; Grease; Helianthus; Helianthus - growth & development; Helianthus - metabolism; Helianthus annuus; Industrial effluents; Industrial wastewater; Irrigation; Oil and gas exploration; Oil and Gas Fields; Oil exploration; Oil pollution; Organic matter; Research Article; Reservoirs; Sediments; Seed germination; Seedlings; Seedlings - growth & development; Seeds; Seeds - growth & development; Seeds - metabolism; Turbidity; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water - analysis; Water - metabolism; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification; Water resources; Brazil; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; Irrigation; Oilfield-produced water; Electroflocculation; Sunflower; Water reuse
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4820-0
• ISSN: 0944-1344

This study aims to evaluate possible toxic effects of oil and other contaminants from oilfield-produced water from oil exploration and production, on seed germination, and seedling development of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.). In comparison, as treated by electroflocculation, oilfield-produced water, with lower oil and organic matter content, was also used. Electroflocculation treatment of oilfield-produced water achieved significant removals of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (94 %), oil and grease (O&G) (96 %), color (97 %), and turbidity (99 %). Different O&G, COD, and salt levels of untreated and treated oilfield-produced water did not influence germination process and seedling biomass production. Normal seedlings percentage and vigor tended to decrease more intensely in O&G and COD levels, higher than 337.5 mg L −1 and 1321 mg O 2  L −1 , respectively, using untreated oilfield-produced water. These results indicate that this industrial effluent must be treated, in order to not affect adversely seedling development. This way, electroflocculation treatment appears as an interesting alternative to removing oil and soluble organic matter in excess from oilfield-produced water improving sunflower’s seedling development and providing a friendly environmental destination for this wastewater, reducing its potential to harm water resources, soil, and biota.