Romanian Merino Wool Sorbent for Oil Spill Cleanup

Removal of some pollutants (Basra, Azeri, and Rebco crude oils, diesel, gasoline, and 1/1 (w/w) diesel gasoline mixture) from water by sorption using Romanian Merino wool as a natural sorbent was studied in this paper. Batch experiments were conducted at different levels of initial sorbent mass (1 and 3 g), oily water pH (5 and 10), and operating temperature (30 and 45 degrees C). The effects of these factors on wool sorption capacity were evaluated. The sorption capacity of more viscous fuels (crude oils), i.e., 4.13-21.87 g/g, increased with an increase in oily water pH and a decrease in initial sorbent mass and temperature. For less viscous pollutants (diesel, gasoline, and their mixture), the sorption capacity (3.32-9.19 g/g) increased with a decrease in sorbent mass, the effects of pH and temperature being negligible. Experimental results were processed according to a 2 (3) factorial plan and regression equations between the process factors and sorption capacity were obtained. SEM analysis revealed that the removal process was governed by both adsorption and absorption mechanisms.