PRINT ISSN 1119-8362 Full-text Available Online at J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. Electronic ISSN 1119-8362 https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem Vol. 24 (3) 459- 465 March 2020 http://ww.bioline.org.br/ja Determination and Remediation of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Petroleum Contaminated Water *1IJAOLA, OO; 2SANGODOYIN, AY *1Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Federal University Otuoke, Bayesla state, Nigeria. 2Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan Nigeria. *Corresponding Author Email: [email protected], [email protected] ABSTRACT: Determination and remediation of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have not being fully regulated in Nigeria; hence contamination of surface water by such pollutant is a major concern. This study was designed to determine the level of selected PAHs in petroleum contaminated water using spectroscopic techniques and the efficacy of activated carbons made from Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera vabyssinaca. Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca were carbonized at 350OC and activated with Phosphoric acid O O (CBV350 C H3PO4) and Potassium chloride (COA 350 C KCl) as dehydrating agent respectively. The adsorbents were then used to remediate PAHs in petroleum contaminated water. Liquid-Liquid extraction procedures were used for extracting selected PAHs from sampled solutions. The batch experiment was performed to study the adsorption capacity of adsorbents at 5hrs contact time. Analysis of PAHs concentration for each sampling day was determined by GC-MS. Total PAHs in simulated wastewater did not show a clear trend, contrary to the expectation that there should be a progressive increase with time due to photolysis or photodecomposition of compounds or PAHs. COA 350OC KCl showed a range of 6.2-19.3% removal efficiency of each selected PAH with a total percentage efficiency of 27.7-70.8 O for all days. For CBV350 C H3PO4 removal efficiency ranged from 10.26-19.30% for each selected PAH and a total efficiency of 50.8-100% for all selected PAHs for the 4 days intervals. The experimental result showed that adsorbent made from Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca and activated with H3PO4 and KCl as dehydrating agent respectively can efficiently adsorb the selected PAHs in contaminated water. The study also revealed that PAHs in contaminated water increases with time due to photodecomposition, thus necessitating their treatment on time. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v24i3.10 Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Ijaola and Sangodoyin. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CCL), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Dates: Received: 16 November 2019; Revised: 11 January 2020; Accepted: 22 February 2020 Keywords: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Adsorbents, Remediate, Petroleum contaminated water Contamination of waterways and groundwater by Among the organic constituent of crude oil is a group petroleum substances has been a major issue of of hydrocarbons called polycyclic aromatic concern in the Niger Delta areas of Nigeria. The hydrocarbons, PAHs (Pampanine and Sydnes, 2013). petroleum industry is a major life-wire of Nigeria’s These are large group of organic contaminants, which income and economic growth. According to reports, are characterized by the presence of at least two fused its operation started way back in 1958, and since then aromatic rings and are seen by the United State many researches have been conducted on the Environmental Agency (USEPA) as priority organic production of petroleum products, the causes and pollutants (USEP, 1994). Fluorene, Phenanthrene, effects of petroleum pollution on the Nigerian Anthracences, Benz (e) acephenanthrylene and environment (Ekundayo and Obuekwe, 1997; Benzo(e)pyrene are some of the prior PAHs contained Ayotamuno et al., 2002; Aroh et al., 2010; Isehunwa in Nigeria petroleum. PAHs are highly lipophilic and Onovae, 2011; Kadafa, 2012). Produced water and contaminants which are ubiquitously present in the crude oil spills are the major sources of pollutants environment (WHO, 1998). Because of their low generated by the petroleum industry. Produced water biodegradation and bioaccumulation in the adipose is the largest by-product or wastewater attributed to tissues of organisms and biomagnifications through the petroleum industry and consists of salt, organic and the food chain, they are considered as persistent inorganic compounds. At times crude oil spills can be organic pollutants, POPs (Haritash and Kaushik, attributed to equipment failure during operation or 2009). damages that arise from production facilities by vandals (Kadafa, 2012). The attribute of water Most of the organic contaminants in water and polluted with crude oil and that of produced water are wastewater associated with the petroleum industries similar because of their hydrocarbon content. are known to have adverse effect on surface waters, *Corresponding Author Email: [email protected], [email protected] Determination and Remediation of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic….. 460 which in some case is source of livelihood. The rapid investigated by simulating petroleum wastewater with decrease in the level of water resources and increasing 2.5L of Bonny light crude oil and distilled water of demand of water for consumption in our daily life has 50L containing 3.5% NaCl salt. NaCl salt was used in necessitated determination and remediation pollutants the simulation in order to create an artificial aquatic in industrial wastewater before disposal (Sangodoyin, environment according to Zubaidy, (2012). The 1993). Modern instrumental techniques developed for simulated petroleum wastewater was then left to environmental concern are chromatographic weather for 48 hrs. Sampling of simulated produced separation and spectroscopic methods such as gas and water was done within 4days at daily intervals. liquid chromatography (GC and LC). These separating Analysis of PAHs concentration for each sampling day techniques are useful for identification and was determined by GC-MS. This was done in order to quantification of organic contaminants, metabolites monitor the change in PAHs concentration as a result and transformation products like PAHs (Noelia, 2011; of change in days. Lindholm- Lehto et al, 2016). These pollutants cause severe environmental, ecological, and economic Adsorption Experiment: All experiments were carried consequences in oil spill environments, hence the need out at ambient temperature. The batch experiment was effective decision to prevent the long-term effect performed to study the adsorption capacity of impact on such geographical isolated locations adsorbents. 200ml of simulated petroleum wastewater (Raymond, et al; 2017: Arockiara, et al; 2019) Most of was sampled into different conical flasks of 250ml the oil and gas industries in the Delta region make use capacity. One gramme of B. vulgaris adsorbent and O. of conventional treatment methods such as the Induced abyssinaca adsorbent was weighed into the conical Gas Flotation (IGF) or the Induced Air Flotation flasks to form an adsorbent/solute solution. Solutions known as WEMCO and Enviro-cell. These are were agitated at a stirring speed of 160 rpm to ensure considered not adequate for remediation of dissolved intimate contact of the adsorbent and solute in hydrocarbons. Dissolved hydrocarbon in petroleum solution, while observing each solution in equilibrium wastewater can best be removed by other fundamental for 5hrs contact time to attain dynamic equilibrium. mechanisms like absorption, adsorption, extraction, After 5 hrs., solutions were filtered with 0.45µm paper membrane filtration or oxidation (John et al, 2004; and the filtrate of 150ml were poured into amber Jeffrey 2010). Meijer and Madin (2010) showed that bottles with Teflon cap and kept at temperature of 40C techniques based on adsorption, like activated carbon for further analysis of extraction, clean up and GC- or polymeric micro porous sorbents with big internal MS. The 5hrs contact time was chosen based on the surfaces are certainly able to remove dissolved experiment performed at the terminal station of the oil hydrocarbons. To ensure compliance with future and gas industry. For accuracy, all experimental discharge requirements, new technologies with analysis was duplicated. The amount of selected PAHs granular activated carbon is envisaged as the next step () adsorbed by B. vulgaris adsorbent and O. in improvement of Petroleum wastewater treatment abyssinaca adsorbent can be expressed (Meijer and Madin, 2010). This study seek to mathematically as: determine the level of selected PAHs in petroleum contaminated water using spectroscopic technique and q × v ………………..1 also examine the efficacy of carbonized Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca as adsorbents. The percentage removal is evaluated using MATERIALS AND METHODS % Removal = × 100 ….2 Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca were carbonized at 350OC and activated with Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and Potassium chloride Where: V is the volume of PAHs in solution (L); Co is (KCl) as dehydrating agent respectively. These initial concentrations of PAHs (mg/l); Ce is adsorbents were then used to remediate PAHs in equilibrium concentrations of PAHs (mg/l); M is the petroleum contaminated