Benzene is one of the most closely controlled contaminants in refinery and petrochemical wastewater. Knowing where it enters the water is the first step to removing it. BTEX, the group of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, tends to travel together.
Main Sources
- Crude desalters. Water washed out of crude carries dissolved aromatics.
- Process condensate and stripper bottoms. Steam that contacts hydrocarbons leaves with dissolved BTEX.
- Aromatics and olefins units. Plants that make or handle benzene, styrene or similar products produce wastewater with the same compounds.
- Tank bottoms and drains. Water drawn from storage tanks often carries free and dissolved hydrocarbons.
- Turnaround and shutdown water. Cleaning, flushing and hydrotest water picks up hydrocarbons from equipment.
- Spent caustic. Caustic scrubbers can concentrate BTEX along with sulfides and phenols. See spent caustic treatment.
Why It Matters
Benzene is toxic and a known human carcinogen. It also volatilizes from open water surfaces, so untreated wastewater becomes an air emission problem as well. Dissolved and emulsified BTEX can pass through ordinary oil separation, which only removes free oil.
What Plants Do About It
The usual route is to characterize the stream first, then choose a removal method that suits the concentration and flow. Options are compared in our comparison of benzene removal options. Power Energy offers benzene and BTEX removal with rental, rent-to-own or operated skids, plus VOC removal and emission control.
Talk to Power Energy
Send us your stream details, contaminants and flow rate. Call or WhatsApp +966 56 278 9535 or email sales@powerenergy.com.co.