Method development for evaluating the effectiveness of hydrocarbons on BOD, UBOD and COD removal in oily wastewater

The effects of different operating parameters on the treatment efficiency of oily wastewater in terms of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were measured. The analyses of BOD using OxiTop biosensors are reviewed regarding performance characteristics like linearity, response time, precision, agreement between BOD28 values obtained from the biosensors and the ultimate BOD (UBOD), as well as toxic resistance and COD. The wastewater samples were seeded with the bacteria, which were isolated in the current study from Kuwaiti oil-contaminated sand, such as Bacillus mycoidesis and Bacillus subtilis. After 18 days, the margin for saponin solution and oily wastewater using either Rhododcoccus (R), a mixture of Bacillus mycoidesis and Bacillus subtilis (M) or a mixture of R&M exhibited the maximum rate of BOD. It was found that the corresponding COD of the saponin solution (SS) ranged from 1,525 mg/l to 3,890 mg/l by distilled water and the mixture (RM), respectively. The COD of oily wastewater (WW) ranged from 2,900 mg/l to 4,450 mg/l by distilled water and the mixture of (RM), respectively. Moreover, the higher values of BOD28 were recorded when mixtures of bacteria were added together with the saponin solution or oily wastewaters. Furthermore, the average values of UBOD for the oily wastewater with RM or with amendment substance were increased by about 33.5% and 49.5%, respectively. However, BOD28/COD ratios for all the selected have been found to be less than 0.4, indicating low aerobic degradability.