Novel Biological and Bioelectrochemical Technologies for Petrochemical Wastewater Treatment and Simultaneous Bioenergy Generation: an Investigative and Comparative Review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors
Gagik Badalians Gholikandi 1
Raha Robati 2
Fatemeh Shokri Dariyan 2
1 Professor, Department of Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Due to the limitations of traditional wastewater treatment methods in the petrochemical industry, such as high energy use, large amounts of sludge, very limited material recovery potential, and high operational costs, it is essential to develop efficient and innovative treatment technologies aimed at removing pollutants and recovering water, energy, and valuable products. This review focuses on various innovative approaches, including the application of hybrid methods and biological processes utilizing microorganisms. Considering that bioelectrochemical systems are emerging as technologies with the necessary capabilities for treating various petrochemical substances and recovering energy and valuable products, this study provides a detailed evaluation of these methods. The feasibility results of their application for treating petrochemical wastewater, including the removal of benzene, toluene, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, xylene, ethylbenzene, sulfate, nitrate, and phenol, are presented. Additionally, the key advantages and challenges associated with the implementation and operation of these systems are identified.

Keywords

Subjects

  1. Khaki, E., Boleydei, H., Abyar, H., Nowrouzi, M., Integrating eco-environmental assessment with energy recovery for petrochemical wastewater treatment technologies: A transition towards green and sustainable management, Journal of Water Process Engineering, Volume 55, 2023, 104103, ISSN 2214-7144, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.104103.
  2. Sathya, K., Nagarajan, K., Carlin Geor Malar, G. (2022) A comprehensive review on comparison among effluent treatment methods and modern methods of treatment of industrial wastewater effluent from different sources. Appl Water Sci 12, 70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-022-015 94-7.
  3. Balapure, K., Bhatt, N., Madamwar, D. (2015) Mineralization of reactive azo dyes present in simulated textile waste water using down flow microaerophilic fixed film bioreactor. Biores Technol 175:1– 7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.040.
  4. Venzke, C. D., Giacobbo, A., Ferreira, J. Z., Bernardes, A. M., & Siqueira Rodrigues, M. A. (2018) Increasing water recovery rate of membrane hybrid process on the petrochemical wastewater treatment. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 117, 152–158. https:// doi.org/ 10.1016/j.psep.2018. 04.023.
  5. Jorfi, S., Alavi, S., Jaafarzadeh, N., Ghanbari, F., Ahmadi, M. (2018) COD removal from high salinity petrochemical wastewater using photo‐assisted peroxi‐coagulation. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly, 32(2), 229–238. https://doi.org/10.15255/ CABEQ.2017.1268.
  6. Shokri, A. (2018) The treatment of spent caustic in the wastewater of olefin units by ozonation followed by electrocoagulation process. Desalination and Water Treatment, 111, 173–182. https://doi.org/ 10.5004/dwt.2018.22248.
  7. Almojjly, A., Johnson, D., Oatley‐Radcliffe, D. L., Hilal, N. (2018) Removal of oil from oil‐water emulsion by hybrid coagulation/sand filter as pre‐treatment. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 26, 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2018.09.004.
  8. Hansen, E., Siqueira Rodrigues, M. A., Aragao, M. E., de Aquim, P. M. (2018) Water and wastewater minimization in a petrochemical industry through mathematical programming. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 1814–1822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclep ro.2017.12.005.
  9. Wu, C., Li, Y., Zhou, Y., Li, Z., Zhang, S., Liu, H. (2018) Upgrading the Chinese biggest petrochemical wastewater treatment plant: Technologies research and full-scale application. Science of the Total Environment, 633, 189–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2018.03.164.
  10. Kumar, N., Sinha, R.V. (2022) Potential applications of green synthesized nano particles in human diseases. 7(12):1796–1801.
  11. Patel, A.K., Singhania, R.R., Albarico, F.P.J.B., Pandey, A., Chen, C-W., Dong, C-D. (2022) Organic wastes bioremediation and its changing prospects. Sci. Total Environ. 153889.
  12. Nagda, A., Meena, M., Shah, M. (2021) Bioremediation of industrial effluents: A synergistic approach. J Basic Microbiol 62:395–414.
  13. Liu, C., Zhang, Y., Sun, S., Huang, L., Yu, L. I., Liu, X., Zhang, Z. (2018) Oil recovery from tank bottom sludge using rhamnolipids. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 170, 14–20. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2018.06.031.
  14. Ayilara, M., Babalola, O. (2023) Bioremediation of environmental wastes: the role microorganisms. Front Agron, 1–15.
  15. Huo, S., Chen, J., Chen, X., Wang, F., Xu, L., Zhu, F., Li, Z. (2018) Advanced treatment of the low concentration petrochemical wastewater by Tribonema sp microalgae grown in the open photobioreactors coupled with the traditional Anaerobic/Oxic process. Bioresource Technology, 270, 476–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.09.024.
  16. Gunjal, A., Rajapakshe, D. (2023) Application of Microorganisms in Industrial Waste Treatment. Green Technologies for Industrial Waste Remediation, Environmental Science and Engineering, 1-10.
  17. Al-Baldawi, I. A. (2018) Removal of 1,2-Dichloroethane from real industrial wastewater using a subsurface batch system with Typha angustifolia L. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 147, 260–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.08.022.
  18. Sudmalis, D., Da Silva, P., Temmink, H., Bijmans, M. M., & Pereira, M. A. (2018). Biological treat ment of produced water coupled with recovery of neutral lipids. Water Research, 147, 33–42. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.09.050.
  19. Ammar, S. H., Khadim, H. J., Mohamed, A. I. (2018). Cultivation of Nannochloropsis oculata and Isochrysis galbana microalgae in produced water for bioremediation and biomass production. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 10, 132–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2018.02.002.
  20. Hakim, M. A. A., Al‐Ghouti, M. A., Das, P., Abu‐Dieyeh, M., Ahmed, T. A., & Aljabri, H. M. S.J. (2018) Potential application of microalgae in produced water treatment. Desalination and Water Treatment, 135, 47–58. https ://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2018.23146.
  21. Riley, S. M., Ahoor, D. C., Cath, T. Y. (2018) Enhanced biofiltration of O&G produced water comparing granular activated carbon and nutrients. Science of the Total Environment, 640, 419–428. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.scito tenv.2018.05.228.
  22. Debnath, K., Dutta, S. (2023) Bio-electrochemical system analysis and improvement: a technical review. Cleaner Circular Bioecon 6:100052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clcb.2023.100052.
  23. Varjani, S., Upasani, V. (2017) A new look on factors affecting microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 120:71–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ibiod.2017.02.006.
  24. Kondaveeti, S., Govindarajan, D., Mohanakrishna, G., Thatikayala, D., Abu-Reesh, I.M., Min, B., Nambi, I.M., Al-Raoush, R.I., Aminabhavi, T.M. (2023) Sustainable bioelectrochemical systems for bioenergy generation via waste treatment fom petroleum industries. Fuel 331, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.125632.
  25. Pawar, A. A., Karthic, A., Lee, S., Pandit, S., & Jung, S. P. (2022). Microbial electrolysis cells for electromethanogenesis: Materials, configurations and operations. Environmental Engineering Research, 27(1).
  26. Vishwanathan, A.S. Microbial fuel cells: a comprehensive review for beginners. 3 Biotech 11, 248 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-021-02802-y.
  27. Carmalin Sophia, A., Bhalambaal, V.M., Lima, C., Thirunavoukkarasu, M., 2016, Microbial desalination cell technology: Contribution to sustainable waste water treatment process, current status and future applications, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Volume 4, Issue 3, Pages 3468-3478, ISSN 2213-3437, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2016.07.024.
  28. Sarmin, S., et al. (2020) Potentiality of petrochemical wastewater as substrate in microbial fuel cell. IOP Conf Ser: Mater Sci Eng 736(3):32015. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/736/3/032015.
  29. Koul, B., Bhat, N., Abubakar, M. (2022) Application of natural coagulants in water treatment: a sustainable alternative to chemicals. Water 14:3751. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14223751.
  30. Amar Dubrovin, I., Ouaknin Hirsch, L., Rozenfeld, S. (2022) Hydrogen production in micro-bial electrolysis cells based on bacterial anodes encapsulated in a small bioreactor platform. Microorganisms 10:1007. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10051007.
  31. Zhang, S., et al. (2020) A review of bioelectrochemical systems for antibiotic removal: efficient antibi-otic removal and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. J Water Process Eng 37:101421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101421.
  32. Chilakamarry, C.R., Sakinah, A.M.M., Zularisam, A.W. (2021) Glycerol waste to value added products and its potential applications. Syst Microbiol Biomanuf 1:378–396. https://doi.org/10. 1007/s43393-021-00036-w.
  33. Mutalib, A. A. A., Jaafar, N. F., and Torlaema, T. A. M. (2024), Basic Electrochemical Concept of Microbial Electrolysis Cell. In Microbial Electrolysis Cell Technology: Fundamental to Sustainable Applications (pp. 1-18). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3356-9_1.
  34. Hemashenpagam, N., Selvajeyanthi, S., Gunasheela, N., (2024). Effect of Substrate on the Efficiency of Microbial Electrolysis Cells. In Microbial Electrolysis Cell Technology: Fundamental to Sustainable Applications (pp. 75-92). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.‏ https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3356-9_5.
  35. Tavker, N., Kumar, N. (2023) Chapter 6-Bioelectrochemical systems: understanding the basics and overcoming the challenges. In: Shah MP et al (eds) Elsevier, pp 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/ B978-0-323-88505-8.00003-6.
  36. Kumar, D., Mishra, S., Kumari, S., Dutta, A.K. (2023) An Overview on Fungi and Nanomaterial-Based Technologies for the Treatment of Industrial Effluents. Environmental Science and Engineering, Green Technologies for Industrial Waste, Springer, 11-27.
  37. Gupta, S.K., et al. (2022) Bioelectrochemical technologies for removal of xenobiotics from wastewater. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 49:101652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2021.101652.
  38. Hamelers, H.V.M., et al. (2009) New applications and performance of bioelectrochemical systems. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 85:1673–1685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2357-1.
  39. He, Z., Angenent, L.T. (2006) Application of bacterial biocathodes in microbial fuel cells. Electro-analysis 18(19–20):2009–2015. https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.200603628.
  40. Hassan, H., Jin, B., Donner, E., Vasileiadis, S., Saint, C., Dai, S. (2018) Microbial community and bioelectrochemical activities in MFC for degrading phenol and producing electricity: Microbial consortia could make differences. Chemical Engineering Journal, 332, 647–657. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2017.09.114.
Iranian Journal of Gas Engineering
Volume 11, Issue 1 - Serial Number 19
September 2024
Pages 87-98

  • Receive Date 29 June 2024
  • Revise Date 16 July 2024
  • Accept Date 10 August 2024