BIOSURFACTANT AND CHEMICAL SURFACTANT EFFECTIVENESS TEST FOR OIL SPILLS TREATMENT IN SEAWATER

• Main Author: LESLIE, MATTHEW
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/61458
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Toxic and persistent nature of hydrocarbon and their processed products are major concerns for treating oil spills. Environmentally friendly oil spill removal can be done by biodegradation. Hydrocarbons such as crude oil has long chains which make difficult for direct removal. Emulsification is a process of shortening hydrocarbon chain and turning oil layer into micelle with addition of surfactant. The presence of water current will trigger oil dispersion from surface to water body. This research is focused on performance test of more environmentally friendly surfactant as substitute for chemical surfactant which cause toxic effect when used. Surfactant performance divided into three parameters namely emulsifying index, dispersion effectiveness and germination index (GI). Performance test was carried out for 3 types of surfactant: sophorolipid biosurfactant, methyl ester sulfonate (MES) surfactant, and tween 80 surfactant. Results of emulsifying index test showed that sophorolipid, MES, and tween 80 enhanced hydrocarbons emulsion forming up to 81.66 ± 0.77%, 2.16 ± 0.43%, and 89.47 ± 1.32% respectively. Results of dispersion effectiveness test showed that sophorolipid, MES, and tween 80 enhanced hydrocarbons dispersion up to 26.59, 38.65, and 48.19% respectively. Result of germination index test showed that average GI for oil dispersed by sophorolipid, MES, and tween 80 are 153.16%, 143.94%, and 6.69 % respectively. Research conducted suggests that sophorolipid and MES has the properties to enhance oil dispersion under the examined laboratory conditions.