The green panacea to restore the wastewater disposed during crude oil excavation and processing

Formation water is disposed of in huge volumes during the excavation and processing of crude oil. It consists of oily components, brine solutions and solvents which are used during the various stages of the petroleum industry. It is usually drained and reaches rivers and streams, eventually deteriorating water quality and threatening existing aquatic life. Furthermore, consumption of fish and plants harvested from such contaminated sites by larger animals can transfer and even amplify the associated risks. Therefore, formation water must be treated before being released into the environment for a safe and sustainable tomorrow.

To address this challenge, scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, led by Dr. Arundhuti Devi, have been working on developing a green approach to treating training water. With repeated trial and error, several experiments and studies, they formulated a mixture composed of plant biomaterial, biosurfactant, which are secondary metabolites of microbes, and NPK fertilizer, to efficiently restore the formation water. Approximately 2.5 g of the formulation could treat one liter of training water in 12 hours. The team has filed for an Indian patent on the development.

The “miracle blend” can help prevent pollution of the environment due to the formation of water and make it reusable to maintain the green revolution. This can help improve agricultural production to meet ever-increasing food demand.

Contact details of the group leader:

Name: dr. Arundhuti Devi (Associate Professor, IASST)

Email ID: arundhuti@iasst.gov.in