Sorption Efficiency of Various Biodegradable Wastes in Crude Oil Spill Cleanup in Igbokoda, Ilaje LG, Ondo State

Abstract

This study examined the efficiency of various biodegradable wastes in crude oil spill cleanup in Igbokoda, Ilaje, Ondo state using biodegradable waste made from melon shaft, groundnut shell, maize corn cob, yam peel, potatoes peel and sugarcane bagasse. They were subjected to natural modification using Crude and Groundnut oil as pollutant and their oil efficiencies were compared. The effectiveness of these modifications was determined by comparing oil sorption results with unmodified biodegradable sorbent. The work is pure scientific in nature with laboratory experimentation. The results show that sugarcane bagasse has the highest oil sorption rate of 10.76g Seconded by Maize corn cob with sorption rate of 3.69g, groundnut peel 3.359g potatoes peel 2.165, coconut fruit extract 2.058, melon shaft 1.614, while the waste with the least sorption rate is yam peel with 1.470g using 1g of biodegradable waste as absorbent. The wastes also show good buoyancy for retention capacity, reusability and oil recovery rate and so these materials should be developed for oil spill cleanup in the study area, especially the use of sugarcane bagasse which has the highest sorption rate in the study, seconded by maize corn cob and groundnut peel. This research however discourages the use of synthetic sorbent in the cleanup of oil spill due to their non-biodegradability issue. The prepared sorbent is a better alternative of the commercial polypropylene sorbent which are being used nowadays.