Characterization of wood biochar and evaluation of its adsorption potential for removal of sulphate from produced water in offshore oil and gas industry

This thesis analyses the potential of wood biochar as an adsorbent in removal of sulphate from produced water. In worldwide offshore oil and gas industry, a large volume of waste water is generated as produced water. Sulphur compounds present in these produced water streams can cause environmental problems, regulatory problems and operational issues. Among the various sulphur removal technologies, the adsorption technique is considered as a suitable method since the design is simple, compact, economical and robust. Biochar has been studied as an adsorbent for removal of contaminants from water in a number of studies due to its low cost, potential availability, and adsorptive characteristics. In this study, biochar produced through fast pyrolysis of bark, hardwood sawdust, and softwood sawdust were characterized through a series of tests and were analysed for adsorbent properties. Treating produced water using biochar sourced from wood waste is a two-fold solution to environmental problems as it reduces the volume of these wastes. Batch adsorption tests were carried out to obtain adsorption capacities of each biochar sample using sodium sulphate solutions. The highest sulphur adsorption capacities obtained for hardwood char, softwood char and bark char were 11.81 mg/g, 9.44 mg/g, and 7.94 mg/g respectively at 10 ��C and pH=4. The adsorption process followed the second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption reaction was thermodynamically favourable and exothermic. The overall analysis concludes that the wood biochar is a feasible, economical, and environmental adsorbent for removal of sulphate from produced water.

A study of methods used to analyze total oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in produced water: steps towards the validation of molecularly imprinted polymers for use in marine environmetns

Produced water is a by-product of offshore oil and gas production, and is released in large volumes when platforms are actively processing crude oil. Some pollutants are not typically removed by conventional oil/water separation methods and are discharged with produced water. Oil and grease can be found dispersed in produced water in the form of tiny droplets, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are commonly found dissolved in produced water. Both can have acute and chronic toxic effects in marine environments even at low exposure levels. The analysis of the dissolved and dispersed phases are a priority, but effort is required to meet the necessary detection limits. There are several methods for the analysis of produced water for dispersed oil and dissolved PAHs, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. In this work, EPA Method 1664 and APHA Method 5520 C for the determination of oil and grease will be examined and compared. For the detection of PAHs, EPA Method 525 and PAH MIPs will be compared, and results evaluated. APHA Method 5520 C Partition-Infrared Method is a liquid-liquid extraction procedure with IR determination of oil and grease. For analysis on spiked samples of artificial seawater, extraction efficiency ranged from 85 ��� 97%. Linearity was achieved in the range of 5 ��� 500 mg/L. This is a single-wavelength method and is unsuitable for quantification of aromatics and other compounds that lack sp��-hybridized carbon atoms. EPA Method 1664 is the liquid-liquid extraction of oil and grease from water samples followed by gravimetric determination. When distilled water spiked with reference oil was extracted by this procedure, extraction efficiency ranged from 28.4 ��� 86.2%, and %RSD ranged from 7.68 ��� 38.0%. EPA Method 525 uses solid phase extraction with analysis by GC-MS, and was performed on distilled water and water from St. John���s Harbour, all spiked with naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. The limits of detection in harbour water were 0.144, 3.82, 0.119, and 0.153 ���g/L respectively. Linearity was obtained in the range of 0.5-10 ���g/L, and %RSD ranged from 0.36% (fluorene) to 46% (pyrene). Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are sorbent materials made selective by polymerizing functional monomers and crosslinkers in the presence of a template molecule, usually the analytes of interest or related compounds. They can adsorb and concentrate PAHs from aqueous environments and are combined with methods of analysis including GC-MS, LC-UV-Vis, and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI)- MS. This work examines MIP-based methods as well as those methods previously mentioned which are currently used by the oil and gas industry and government environmental agencies. MIPs are shown to give results consistent with other methods, and are a low-cost alternative improving ease, throughput, and sensitivity. PAH MIPs were used to determine naphthalene spiked into ASTM artificial seawater, as well as produced water from an offshore oil and gas operation. Linearity was achieved in the range studied (0.5 ��� 5 mg/L) for both matrices, with R�� = 0.936 for seawater and R�� = 0.819 for produced water. The %RSD for seawater ranged from 6.58 ��� 50.5% and for produced water, from 8.19 ��� 79.6%.

Phase and partitioning behavior of phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in offshore oil and gas produced water

Produced water constitutes the largest volume of waste from offshore oil and gas operations and is composed of a wide range of organic and inorganic compounds. Although treatment processes have to meet strict oil in water regulations, the definition of ���oil��� is a function of the analysis process and may include aliphatic hydrocarbons which have limited environmental impact due to degradability whilst ignoring problematic dissolved petroleum species. This thesis presents the partitioning behavior of oil in produced water as a function of temperature and salinity to identify compounds of environmental concern. Phenol, p-cresol, and 4-tert-butylphenol were studied because of their xenoestrogenic power; other compounds studied are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon PAHs which include naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. Partitioning experiments were carried out in an Innova incubator for 48 hours, temperature was varied from 4���C to 70���C, and two salinity levels of 46.8��� and 66.8��� were studied. Results obtained showed that the dispersed oil concentration in the water reduces with settling time and equilibrium was attained at 48 h settling time. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) partitions based on dispersed oil concentration whereas phenols are not significantly affected by dispersed oil concentration. Higher temperature favors partitioning of PAHs into the water phase. Salinity has negligible effect on partitioning pattern of phenols and PAHs studied. Simulation results obtained from the Aspen HYSYS model shows that temperature and oil droplet distribution greatly influences the efficiency of produced water treatment system.

Student Independent Projects Environmental Studies 2011: Vending Machines and Sustainable Development on Grenfell Campus, Memorial University

This Paper discusses the food and beverage machines that are located at Memorial University's Grenfell Campus and endeavors to assess how much those vending machines are being used and how they affect sustainability initiatives on campus. A survey was conducted to gauge the use of vending machines, their content and what is purchased, and if participants did not purchase from thes machines they were also asked why they did not.This survey produced many other questions that are directly linked to vending machines.Water quality on campus was heavily disscussed, along with the use of bottled water and implications associated with drinking only from bottles that are thrown away. The study concludes with a discussion of the alternative choices that can be implemented to replace vending machines.

Independent Projects Environmental Studies 2010: From Climate Change Laggard to Leader: Policy recommedations for Newfoundland and Labrador

Dyer, along with many others reflecting international consensus in the scientific community, argues that countries must be carbon neutral by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change (Dyer, 2008, p. xii). to accomplish this by 2050, we need to act now: governments need to cooperate with the scientific community to ensure our society makes the changes to combat climate change. How is Canada reacting to this situation? As describes by the Sierra Club of Canada, "federal government continues to drag its feet, and delay any action to reduce emissions" (2008, p. 18). Given this federal reluctance, individual provinces must act to reduce emissions. While some provinces take a required action, primarily Quebec and British Columbia, others, like Newfoundland and Labrador, contribute little in terms of emissions reductions. Newfoundland and Labrador is ranked as "poor"-among the worst performers regarding climate change policy in the country-by the David Suzuki Foundation in a cross Canada evaluation of various provincial climate change policies (David Suzuki Foundation, 2008, p. 9). The Province of Newfoundland is not doing enough to address climate change. In this paper I argue that to improve this situation, the province could follow the example of the two leading jurisdictions, Quebec and British Columbia, to refine and introduce its own hybrid policy that directly affects decision making processes. But, this can be complicated when convincing the government that it is important to accept stronger policy. The government must consider what climate change impacts Newfoundland and Labrador experiences and willconinue to experience and what Newfoundland and Labrador is contributing to the problem of climate change. To evaluate these issues of climate change, I first survey the positive policies Newfoundland and Labrador is currently implementing/ discussing and then outline action taken by the provincial environment leaders, Quebec and British Columbia.Then I describe the strong pieces in the Quebec and British Columbia climate change action plan that Newfoundland and Labrador can emulate. Finally, I consider if thes polices are politically feasible for the government of Newfoundland and labrador. Hence, this paper aims to give a blueprint of what Newfoundland and Labrador has to act on to make itself an environmental leader.

Student Independent Projects Environmental Studies 2011: A Values Profile for a Healthy, Sustainable Corner Brook Community

We now live in a world where urbanization has become the norm. Approximately half the world now lives in cities(O'brien, 2008). In recent years for a province like Newfoundland and Labrador which has relied heavily on one industry, the fishery, this statistic holds a lot of meaning. For well over a century there has been a continuing movement from Newfoundland to other parts of Canada and the US. Between 1971 and 1998 alone, net out-migration amounted 20% of the provinces population. This exodus has become a significant part of Newfoundland culture (Bowering Delisle, 2008). Communities have declining populations because families can no longer afford to live in their communities. For places like Corner Brook though citizens do not feel the urge to move to bigger urban centers like St. John's or places on the mainland. The purpose of this paper is to outline values which maybe keeping Corner Brook residents from uprooting their families to move to bigger urban centers such as St. John's, in order to be able to support ther families, get experience in their fields or to just acquire a job like many other people around the province.

Student Independent Projects Environmental Studies 2007: Redesigning the Corner Brook Waterfront

In recent decades, urban planning has seen a rise in waterfront revitalization. This is important concerning Corner Brook, where the possible permanent closure of the Mill would have devastating consequences for the surrounding area. Corner Brook is located on the West Coast of Newfoundland, Canada, and has a population of 20,083 (WWW.statcan.ca, 2007). Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd. (CBP&P) dominates the local economy and is located on the city's waterfront. With the realization that the heart of any city is the waterfront, if there is one present, many cities started revitalization trend in order to bring life back to the community and restore the local economy (Robertson, 1999). In the past, waterfronts were dominated with industry, shipping, and the navy. Today, the focus has shifted to leisure, recreation, tourism, and residential and commercial activity. Along with economic factors, the visual aspect of the waterfront is also Important (Albrecht, Bode, & Evers, 2003; Hoffman, 1999). Although this trend started out larger cities, such as Toronto, it has now spread to smaller centers, similar to the size of Corner Brook (Hoyle, 2000). What differs between the various sizes of the cities is what the main focus of the waterfront will be following the revitalization. With the tourism economy making a strong foothold in Newfoundland, the waterfront would provide the possibility to extend it even further. Yet, the most important aspects of the new waterfront will be to ensure environmentally safe measures (Slocombe, 1993) and making sure that as many jobs as possible will be generated. The generation of new jobs is especially important considering the loss of the Mill, which has provided the city and surrounding area with paying employment.

Student independent Projects Environmental Studies 2007: An Environmental Levy for Disposable Cups in NL: A preliminary Investigation

Human ability to impact Planet Earth appears to know no bounds. Adherence to polices of managed resource extraction combined with unbridled consumption, have fostered a disposable culture contributing to mass production of garbage. Eco-taxation may provide the economic tools required to reduce the amount of waste generated. Keys to eco-tax success are vision, education, and flexibility. Success must be measured in societal gains, not simply in monetary terms. Public opinion is initially opposed to consumer charges. Education and viable personal options are crucial to overcome resistance. With one coffee shop dispensing over 800,000 disposable cups annually, an eco-tax is an attractive option to simultaneously raise revenue to waste management programs and reduce one sector of waste production.