Oil spill pollution treatment by sorption on natural Cynanchum Acutum L. plant
Sayed, S.A.; El Sayed, A.S.; S, M.; Zayed, A.M.
Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management 7(2): 63-73
2003
Document Number: 259980
This study investigated the use of cheap, available, biodegradable and recyclable natural organic sorbent for oil spill clean-up. White silky hairs (WSH) collected from the smooth seeds of Cynanchum acutum plant was used before and after thermal and chemical treatment, to remove crude oil; 0.6 g, below which mechanical means for removing crude oil becomes less effective, from the surface of saline water (750 mL) at 30 degrees C. The plant was treated mechanically by squeezing and then chemically by naphtha, a petroleum product of boiling range 30-165 degrees C, to remove sorbed crude oil from its surface for further reuse and contaminated naphtha was processed to be distilled for reuse. WSH quickly absorbed hydrocarbons and encapsulated oil on contact. WSH absorbed, on average, three times of its weight. Dewaxed WSH absorbed four times of its weight, in case of de-waxing by n-hexane and six times of its weight in case of de-waxing by methanol. Dehydrated WSH at 120 degrees C absorbed seven times of its weight. WSH absorbed eleven times of its weight when it was used after soaking in 10-4 M dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid. WSH absorbed twenty times of its weight when it was soaked in dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and dehydrated at 120 degrees C. The characteristics of crude oil and C. acutum were investigated by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray fluorescence, pour point and centrifuge instruments. Determination of the amount of crude oil in saline water was done by extracting the crude oil with tricholorotrifluoroethane and measuring absorbance by infrared spectrometer.