Assessment of Activated Carbon for Environmental Control of Trace Organics in Petroleum Refinery Wastewater

摘要

Industrywide dollar costs and energy impacts are assessed for (1) granular activated carbon (GAC) in a continuous flow-through system and (2) powdered activated carbon (PAC) fed to an activated-sludge system, where either treatment option is in addition to 1983 BATEA-model requirements. Attainable trace organic removal levels for any given refinery are based upon data from a Class-B refinery that met wastewater BPCTCA in 1977. Scaling is done by assuming that the same percent COD or TOC must be removed as was removed at the Class-B refinery to achieve a like trace-organics removal level. Nationwide application of GAC technology would cost $445 million (capital cost) and $127 million for annual operation (1977 $ basis); corresponding PAC costs are $172 million (capital) and $82 million (annual). Estimated annual energy impacts are: GAC = 2.35 x 10 exp 6 bbl crude oil (0.44% of annual throughput) and PAC = 5.26 x 10 exp 5 bbl crude oil (0.0097% annual throughput). PAC technology should be considered for trace organics control throughout the petroleum refining industry and pilot studies should be done to answer outstanding questions. In addition to more favorable capital, operating, and energy costs, major advantages of PAC over GAC include flexibility in varying carbon type and dose, and minimization of the possibility of upset of the activated-sludge process. (ERA citation 04:038161)