Use of Mineral Sorbents for the Purification of Natural Environments from Petroleum Products in the Kolsky Northern Region

Abstract

The research was carried in order to study the effectiveness of using alumino-silicate vermiculite mineral of various modifications as a sorbent for the purification of environment from oil products. Thermally activated vermiculite with hydrophilic properties can be used to clean oil-contaminated areas, prevent hydrocarbon migration and improve the structural condition of polluted soils. Immobilization on the sorbent of bacteria cells-oil destructors of the genus Pseudomonas increases its efficiency and contributes to a more rapid recovery of the polluted environment. The treatment of thermally activated vermiculite with a water-repellent spirit makes it possible to obtain a sorbent with high water resistance properties. The use of a water-repellent sorbent in the purification of water from diesel fuel makes allows achieving a high degree of purification-up to 99.8%. Such a sorbent can be used for localization and collection of oil and petroleum products in coastal waters, as well as for cleaning oil-contaminated wastewater. The sorbent used in the cleaning process can be restored and reused.

Evaluation of the efficiency of sorbents for accidental oil spill response in the Arctic waters

“…Mineral sorbents are produced from materials with a high specific surface area based on silicates [18] and aluminosilicates (zeolites) [19], vermiculite [20], bentonite [21], etc. [15,22,23]. Biodegradable sorbents of organic origin based on peat, coal, wood waste, cellulose, grain products, etc.…”