Synthesis of Green Surfactant for Remediating Petroleum Contaminated Soil

Idongesit Friday Oduok, Rasheed Babalola

Abstract: This study focuses on synthesis and pilot scale insitu application of green surfactant of vegetable oil origin in remediating petroleum contaminated soil. The objectives include production of methyl ester sulphonate (MES) surfactant from groundnut oil, characterization of the surfactant and testing of its effectiveness in remediating engine oil contaminated soil. The methods employed were bench scale production of the surfactant through transesterification, sulphonation, and interesterification reactions. The surfactant was applied on a simulated contaminated site and remediation efficiency analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Results obtained indicates that triglycerides can be applied in the synthesis of an ecofriendly surfactant for petroleum spill remediation. The produced surfactant was able to remediate 61.7 percent total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and 96.0 percent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in the simulated contaminated soil. MES is recommended as petroleum spill dispersant and remediating agent in restoring petroleum impacted soils. Manufacturing effort should be made toward commercializing vegetable oil based ecofriendly surfactant for petroleum spill remediation and other industrial and domestic application.

Keywords: green surfactant, remediation, petroleum spill, methyl ester sulphonate