Use of carbamide-formaldehyde sorbing materials in the elimination of emergency oil spills

Summary

Experimentally the advantages and disadvantages of sorbents based on carbamide-formaldehyde resin are revealed in comparison with other types of sorbing materials used to eliminate emergency oil spills on the ground or water surface. It was determined that carbamide-formaldehyde material has high values of sorption capacity (up to 60 g/g), hydrophobicity and buoyancy (more than 72 hours), absorption rates (10 s). After one-time use this material loses its mechanical strength which prevents its reuse. A distinctive feature of the sorbent is the possibility of extracting from it captured hydrocarbons in belt presses or centrifuges. The studies of the spent sorbent based on carbamide-formaldehyde resin containing oil products have been carried out. The absence of acute phytotoxicity was revealed – the difference in the parameters of cockweed cress seeds in the experiment and control began to manifest itself only on the seventh day of the experiment. Experiments were carried out to study the possibility of biodegradation using Eisenia fetida earthworms of Lumbricidae family. The following conditions of the biological decomposition of spent sorbent containing oil products have been determined: the need for the pretreatment with biohumus extract; sorbent colonization by cocoons but not by adult worms; concentration in the substrate is from 20 to 50%.

Key words

oil pollution , oil sorbent properties , carbamide-formaldehyde resin , phytotoxicity , biodegradation