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Standards Development
This document gives guidance on the treatment and reuse of petrochemical refinery wastewater and the possible applications of the treated wastewater. In addition, it also briefly covers the proper disposal and discharge of the residual waste generated from the wastewater treatment plants.
Water is vital for sustaining human life, propelling industrial and agricultural growth, and preserving the ecological balance. However, our global water supply is under immense pressure. The World Resources Institute's August 16, 2023 report highlights the world is facing an unprecedented water crisis. Twenty five percent 25% of the global population faces extreme high water stress each year. By 2050, that number could be closer to 60%. As easily accessible water resources become scarce and the human population expands, the need for sustainable water reuse becomes paramount to both public and private sectors. Excluding agricultural use, water consumption by the industries accounts for 58.4% of the total industrial and domestic water in terms of freshwater withdrawal. Treatment of water for the petroleum industry requires up to 10% of the energy contained in crude is used to refine it, and much of that energy is rejected as thermal energy loss during cooling. Hence a great deal of water is used in production of petroleum fuels during processing and cooling. Refineries discharge 0.3-3.5t of wastewater for every 1t of crude oil processed. Therefore, the petroleum industry can effectively reuse water to benefit the local communities in which oil is refined. However, the wastewater streams that the petroleum refinery are varied which include desalter water, sour water, process water, spent caustic, tank bottoms, blowdown water and so on. Untreated petroleum refinery wastewater contains high levels of hazardous contaminants including oil, grease, phenol, aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, posing serious health risks and adverse effects on the environment. Wastewater treatment and reclamation processes are selected based on the different requirements of the water reuse. But the published regulations and guidelines only focus on discharge management for petroleum refinery wastewater, and there are no ISO standards related to petroleum refinery wastewater reuse. Therefore, it is necessary to develop guidelines in determining the type of wastewater treatment processes and reuse standards. This document will establish the general principles, types and properties of petroleum refinery wastewater, wastewater treatment and reclamation processes, waste oil recovery and sludge disposal with some examples providing feasible technical guidance for petroleum refinery wastewater treatment and reuse. This document aims to promote the mindset shift of petroleum refinery wastewater reuse technology to achieve high-efficiency, low-energy, environment-friendly, resource-saving, and sustainable development.
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