Micro-Bubbles

According to a recently published article in the journal Chemosphere, an inexpensive new method has been developed to remove oil sheen by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing ozone gas, creating microscopic bubbles that attack the oil so that it can be removed by sand filters.

The lead author of the article, Andy Hong, a University of Utah professor of civil and environmental engineering, said “we are not trying to treat the entire hydrocarbon content in the water — to turn it into carbon dioxide and water — but we are converting it into a form that can be retained by sand filtration, which is a conventional and economical process.”

Hong also says the technology could be used to clean a variety of pollutants in water and soil.

The study also showed that the method not only removes oil sheen, but leaves the water so that any remaining acids, aldehydes and ketones are more susceptible to being biodegraded by pollution-eating microbes.

Possible pollutants that can be cleaned are:
1. Oil contaminated wastewater discharged into coastal waters.
2. So-called “produced water” from oil and gas drilling sites on land.
3. Water from mining of tar sands and oil shale.
4. Refinery wastewater and oil spills at refineries or in waterways.
5. Groundwater contaminated by MTBE, a gasoline additive.
6. Wastewater polluted with medications and personal care products.