Evaluation of the Effects of Total Suspended Solid and Total Hardness in Crude Oil Contaminated Water Environment

Abstract

The actions and effects of a few selected physiochemical traits present in a contaminated water environment were examined in this study attempt using experimental methods and mathematical expressions. Throughout the course of 84 days at 14-day intervals, six control valves were established at equal intervals down the depth of the tanks to collect samples for study of physicochemical characteristics, total bacterial counts (TBC), and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content. The Monod equation and the Developed Dispersion and Degradation Model were used to study TPH diffusion in the media of stagnant water. TBC increased gradually in both water media until day 56, at which point it quickly increased between days 70 and 80. TPH content dropped over extended periods of time but varied randomly with depth. Crude oil had a greater effect on fresh water medium than on salt water media. When comparing the model using the Monod equation to the diffusion model integrating first order rate kinetics, the TPH predicted by the latter closely matched the experimental results. The difference between the projected TPH by the model using the Monod equation and the experimental data indicates that the Monod Equation would not be a suitable choice for a rate parameter in the diffusion model. The TPH flow rate reduction during this research work in terms of the experimental procedures and the presence of physicochemical parameters in the selected water environments after being contaminated with crude oil shows that TPH will take some time to adapt.