The biofouling on cooling systems surfaces is one of the major problems in industrial processes because it causes operational drawbacks that interfere in the process performance. The application of biofouling control methods is essential in cooling system operation to minimize biofilm formation on the equipment surfaces, thus maintaining energy demand, increasing operational performance, and providing cost savings. In this context, this work presents a literature review on strategies to control biofilm on surfaces using chemical and physical methods, improving the understanding of the biofouling formation mechanism, and the adverse effects on industrial cooling system equipment. This review examines the chemical and physical methods efficiently employed as antibiofouling strategies for cooling systems, theoretical framework, recent research findings, antimicrobial mechanisms involved, advantages, limitations, feasibility, and operational range. A comparison between chemical and physical methods is highlighted, as are gaps in the literature concerning antibiofouling strategies for the surfaces of cooling systems.

The study was planned to quantify the distribution of bacteria between bulk water and biofilm formed on different materials in an industrial scale cooling tower system of an oil refinery operating with clarified and chlorinated freshwater (CCW) or chlorinated tertiary effluent (TRW) as makeup water. The sessile and planktonic heterotrophic bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa densities were significantly higher in the cooling tower supplied with clarified and chlorinated freshwater (CTCW) (p < 0.05). In the two towers, the biofilm density was higher on the surface of glass slides and stainless steel coupons than on the surface of carbon steel coupons. The average corrosion rates of carbon steel coupons (0.4-0.8 millimeters per year (mpy)) and densities of sessile (12-1.47 × 10(3) colony-forming unit (CFU) cm(-1)) and planktonic (0-2.36 × 10(3) CFU mL(-1)) microbiota remained below of the maximum values of reference used by water treatment companies as indicative of efficient microbial control. These data indicate that the strategies of the water treatment station (WTS) (free chlorine) and industrial wastewater treatment station (IWTS) followed by reverse electrodialysis system (RES) (free chlorine plus chloramine) were effective for the microbiological control of the two makeup water sources.

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Produced water is the main residue from the petroleum extraction industry. Other critical factor in this sector is carbon dioxide emissions. This work presents a solution proposal for both problems throughout the development of an apparatus which allows the synthesis of salts dissolved in produced water with CO2 capture. The experimental unit developed in this work was based on the Solvay process, to convert sodium chloride (NaCl) into sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) from synthetic produced water and carbon dioxide (CO2). No previous work used the combination of produced water and CO2 aiming at the synthesis of new products. Four steps were made with different experimental setups. The best outcome for the reaction of bicarbonate attained a conversion of 44.5% of sodium chloride into sodium bicarbonate and capture of 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. A preliminary financial analysis indicates an annual revenue of US$ 126,607,292.31 in sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride and US$ 2,862,897.23 in carbon credits per year. The studied methodology can be used as a starting point for new experimental works that have the purpose to obtain salts from produced water and can help for better understanding its potential as carbon capture agent and a source of valuable products, contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact and adding value to the production chain.

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