Treatment of oily wastewater using hydrogels

Abstract

This chapter discusses the application of hydrogels in wastewater treatment. Oily wastewater is produced in large quantities from activities and processes in the petroleum industry. Moreover, the draining of these effluents pollutes the environment and diminishes the yield of oil and water. Oily wastewater is associated with important threats to air, water, soil, and humans due to the dangerous nature of its oil contents. Hydrogels have been used to treat oily wastewater by an adsorption method. This chapter discusses the monitoring and handling of water remediation in the petroleum industry using hydrogels, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) crosslinked hydrogels, PVA foam, and chitosan-based polyacrylamide hydrogels. The capacity of these hydrogels to adsorb and trap crude oil was determined by gravimetric methods under the best possible conditions. The treatment of oily wastewater can be enhanced at a low cost by trapping crude oil in an open marine environment.