BIBLlOGRAPHY
TABLEVI. TOTALOXYGEX RE&IMSII\.G AT
OCTFALLS AFTER SIMPLE MIXISG OF A C I D A S D SEPARATOR '\J-ASTES (9 C.4qES) (THEORETIC.41,)
Total Remaining
Date
%
3/7/51 3/8/51
48 41 50
4/3/51
4/4/61 4/26/51 5/8/51
5/9/51
43 23 29 26
8/1/31 8/13/51
18 78'6 a Abnolmally high value and not representative of average conditions probably attributable to the 0.d. determination.
(1) .'inierican Petroleum Inetitute, "Manual oil Disposal of Refinery Kastes," Section 1 and 2, 50 West 50th St., Kern York 20,
h-.Y., 1949. (2) dmerican Public Ilealth Service Association, 1790 Broadmay,
(3) (4)
(6) (6)
It n as concluded that this immediate oxygen demand characteiistic constituted the major pollution problem to be encounteied at the refinery.
(7)
S. P., "Standard Methods for the Examination of Wat,er and Sewage," 9th ed., 1949. Hart, W. B., "Industriiil Waste Dispornl," I'etroleuni J'i,ocesiing, 1213 West Third St., Clevelsnd 13, Ohio, 1 9 4 G h l i . Perry, J. €I., "Chemioai Engineers' Handbook," 2nd ctl., N c Gmv-Hill Book Co., Sew York, X. Y., 1941. Phelps, E. B.,"Stream Sanitation," 2nd printing$ .John Wiloy & Sons, Inc., Sew York, S.Y., 1947. Eiegel, E. R., "Industrial Chemistry," 5 , h Id., 330 West $2111 St., S e w York, S . Y., pp, 48'7-532, 19-19. Shreve, R. N., "The Chemical Process Industrics," 1st cd., McGraw-Hill Rock Co., Xem York, X, .Y., pp. 796-835, 1945.
REcxivsn for review M a y 18. 1953.
ICC~ September :PTE 28, D ;~33,
Biological Growths in Refinery Waste Waters EDWIK S. CROSBY, W'ILLEM RUDOLFS, . ~ N DHQVHANESS MEUICEEEKIAN New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, New Brunswick, h'* 3. Laboratory and field investigations of biological growths in petroleum. refinery w7astesincluded studies of their occurrence, nature, causes, effects, and control. The most troublesome growths were bacterial in nature and may be termed slimes. Primary seeding was apparently from soil and marine sources. The waste component stimulatory to growth was barometric condenser water. Reduced sulfur compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons in this waste stream were stimulating factors in a n environment of low-level dissolved oxygen. The marine growths encountered were a submerged phenomenon and were effectively controlled b y liquid chlorine or sodium hypochlorite applied in sufficient quantities to produce a residual, but not by copper sulfate, copper naphthenate, naphthenic acid, or combinations of chlorine and copper sulfate. Spent and regenerated caustic wastes containing phenuls effectively controlled similar slimes in refinery cooling waters.
T to
HE investigation of biological gronths in refinery wastes m a
motivated by two primary purposes. The fiist objective was obtain basic information on the occurrence and nature of a rather unique group of aquatic organisms. The organisms m r e unusual in that they were capable of growing to nuisance proportions in an industrial waste primarily chemical in nature and often containing toxic materials. The second reason for this study was to determine the significance of such growths, their causes, and the most effective methods for theii control. NATCRE A I D OCCURRENCE O F GROWTHS
Floating, suspended, and attached material from various waste streams of three east coast refineries were examined in the field and laboratory to determine where biological growths occurred. Representative samples from various locations vere collected for gross and microscopic examinations. The types of 296
organisms found, the 1oca.tions where they occurred, and their relative abundance are summi~rizecl in Table I. Among the bacteria and fungi only tbe zoogloeal dime bacteria were abundnnt and troublesomc, and only at refincry B. The blue-greeia algae mere abundant a t refinery .k> but, t,hey were also prcsent a t refinery €3. Of Solids from the effiuenx of these three refineries, one hail primarily emulsion and no significant amount of biological growth, ii second had principally filamentous blue-green algnc, which were not part,icularly objectionrtble, and the third h:td primarily slime bacteria, which wcrc the most troublesome. AI1 slime growths contained some free arid erriu~sifiedo i l and silt. Other organisms were generally of minor significance. Planki-on studies of raw or influent water t,o t.he plant were not made, a,s the troublesome organisms were prirnrtrily bncterial in nature. The usual plankton procedures do not include hacterial studies. X1P
I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G CHEMISTRY
Vol. 46
