Treatment Methods for Bitumen Polluted Water(bpw) - a Review

This review is set to answer the question about current and alternative treatment methods available for treating Bitumen000. 12021Polluted Water (BPW). Bitumen is a complex form of hydrocarbon with a higher viscosity than crude oil preventing it from flowing under natural conditions. BPW is formed due to bitumen seepage from underground reservoirs causing contamination of land and waterbodies in areas where the deposit is untapped. Another wastewater from bitumen is the Bitumen Wastewater (BWW) which is formed from bitumen extraction and processing, though this review centered on bitumen-polluted water BPW, studies revealed that BWW exhibits similar characteristics of floatable solids, high levels of salt and taste, colour, hardness of water, high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels, toxic metals: lead, cadmium and dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons: Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene (BTEX). It has been reported that these pollutants were recalcitrant, persistent in biodegradation, and required many years to denature. This review summarized treatment methods for bitumen polluted water and by extension BWW from five aspects, which contain flotation, filtration, coagulation, biological treatment, and combined technology. Further, it addressed modifying the existing Bitumen Polluted Water Treatment System (BPWTS) with the possibility of scaling it up to treat more volume of BPW to meet water treatment demand in the bitumen-rich areas.