8.2.3 Petrochemicals Industries
Petrochemicals mean different chemicals which are produced from petroleum products and natural gas and used for production of valuable market demanding items for
consumption. From petrochemical industries, the water is contaminated with either
process water or with waste chemicals. There are different types of petrochemical
industries, like petrochemical production industry, fertilizers industry, textile industry, polymer and plastic manufacturer industries. Wastes from petrochemical industries are very hazardous and carcinogenic, because they contain benzene, napthenic
acid, phenanthrene, benzo[a]pyrene, dye chemicals, phenols, organometallic hydrocarbons, colour pigment and different solvents (Patwardhan 2008; Sharma et al.
2017; Vineta et al. 2014; Sengupta 2019; Porwal 2015; Sher et al. 2013).
Petrochemical Waste
Petrochemical wastes are generally generated due to some accidental discharges and
abnormal operation, like naphtha cracking, polyethylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene
glycol, polyolefins, propylene plants of the petrochemical complex. The wastewater
of the petrochemical complexes is contaminated with large quantities of polycyclic
aromatics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, methanol, acetic acid, cumene, phenols,
heavy alcohols, benzene, toluene, xylene, acrylonitrile and other polymeric
chemicals. These pollutants may cause environmental hazards as well as health
hazards to living beings (Patwardhan 2008; Ghimire and Wang 2018;
Balasubramani and Sivarajasekar 2018).
Fertilizer Wastes
Fertilizers are mainly phosphorous-potassium-nitrogen-based chemicals and also
bio-organic as well as organic chemicals. Fertilizers are used for healthy growth of
plants as well as to improve the soil quality. One of the important fertilizer wastes is
phosphogypsum slurry of phosphoric acid and calcium sulphate when phosphate
rock is dissolved in sulphuric acid. Coal and naphtha are used as feedstocks of
fertilizer. Eventually, surface-water is contaminated with coal dust and naphtha
effluents (Environmental Protection Agency, Washington 2017). From fertilizer
complex, the main hydrocarbon pollutants are pentyl-pyrone, methyl ethyl amine,
methanol, etc. The water is also polluted with suspended and dissolved impurities
and some heavy metals (arsenic, vanadium, uranium and polonium) which altogether impose a negative impact on the aquatic environment (Patwardhan 2008;
National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning, India 2014; Sengupta
2019).
8 Treatment of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollutants in Water
239
Petrochemicals mean different chemicals which are produced from petroleum products and natural gas and used for production of valuable market demanding items for
consumption. From petrochemical industries, the water is contaminated with either
process water or with waste chemicals. There are different types of petrochemical
industries, like petrochemical production industry, fertilizers industry, textile industry, polymer and plastic manufacturer industries. Wastes from petrochemical industries are very hazardous and carcinogenic, because they contain benzene, napthenic
acid, phenanthrene, benzo[a]pyrene, dye chemicals, phenols, organometallic hydrocarbons, colour pigment and different solvents (Patwardhan 2008; Sharma et al.
2017; Vineta et al. 2014; Sengupta 2019; Porwal 2015; Sher et al. 2013).
Petrochemical Waste
Petrochemical wastes are generally generated due to some accidental discharges and
abnormal operation, like naphtha cracking, polyethylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene
glycol, polyolefins, propylene plants of the petrochemical complex. The wastewater
of the petrochemical complexes is contaminated with large quantities of polycyclic
aromatics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, methanol, acetic acid, cumene, phenols,
heavy alcohols, benzene, toluene, xylene, acrylonitrile and other polymeric
chemicals. These pollutants may cause environmental hazards as well as health
hazards to living beings (Patwardhan 2008; Ghimire and Wang 2018;
Balasubramani and Sivarajasekar 2018).
Fertilizer Wastes
Fertilizers are mainly phosphorous-potassium-nitrogen-based chemicals and also
bio-organic as well as organic chemicals. Fertilizers are used for healthy growth of
plants as well as to improve the soil quality. One of the important fertilizer wastes is
phosphogypsum slurry of phosphoric acid and calcium sulphate when phosphate
rock is dissolved in sulphuric acid. Coal and naphtha are used as feedstocks of
fertilizer. Eventually, surface-water is contaminated with coal dust and naphtha
effluents (Environmental Protection Agency, Washington 2017). From fertilizer
complex, the main hydrocarbon pollutants are pentyl-pyrone, methyl ethyl amine,
methanol, etc. The water is also polluted with suspended and dissolved impurities
and some heavy metals (arsenic, vanadium, uranium and polonium) which altogether impose a negative impact on the aquatic environment (Patwardhan 2008;
National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning, India 2014; Sengupta
2019).
8 Treatment of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollutants in Water
239