ABSTRACT
Produced water (PW) from petroleum reservoirs often contains heavy metals and other contaminants that are harmful to the environment. Most of the commonly used treatment techniques have been reported to be ineffective in reducing some of the contaminants’ concentrations to recommended disposal levels. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two selected bio-adsorbents combined for treating PW from Niger Delta oil fields. In this study, orange peels (OP), and banana peels (BP), were washed with distilled water, sun-dried (24 h) and dried in the oven at 105°C for 2 hours. They were ground into powder and sieved (150 μ). Samples of PW were obtained from fields X, and Y in the Niger Delta and the hydrocarbon content was determined and removed using gravity separator, the samples were thereafter analyzed for heavy metals using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Samples were treated in adsorption column over 80 minutes using the adsorbents simultaneously. Treated samples were analyzed with AAS and characterized. Adsorption of heavy metals were assessed using percentage removal method. For the sample 1, the percentage removal for the metal concentrations (Na gives 40.48%, Mg gives 48.58%, Cu gives 34.52%, Zn gives 54.3%, Pb gives 21.56%, Fe gives 24.74%, Ni gives 50.2%, Cd gives 27.1%, Mn gives 18.6%), While for sample 2, the net percentage removal of the various metals: (Na gives 33.66%, Mg gives 35.4%, Cu gives 34.52%, Zn gives 33.74%, Pb gives 21.56%, Fe gives 24.74%, Ni gives
61.4%, Cd gives 41.28% and Mn gives 34.62%). The finer adsorbents were more effective. In conclusion, Produced water samples from Niger Delta oil fields were effectively treated of heavy metals using two selected bio-adsorbents mixed simultaneously.
