The influence on microorganisms of heavy metals from refiner’s spent desulphurisation catalysts

ABSTRACT

Refinery wastes generated in conventional crude oil refining processes, or in accidental situations, are complex substrates for treatment and disposal. Petroleum desulphurisation catalysts can also be hazardous refinery waste. They contain various metals, such as cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and tungsten. In this paper, three petroleum refiner’s spent desulphurisation catalysts were investigated. These catalysts were not suitable for recycling and, therefore, were classified as hazardous waste. They were chemically characterised, including phase composition and their effect on a consortium of microorganisms used in the process of bioremediation. Catalysts contained up to 2.26 g kg⁻¹ of total petroleum hydrocarbons, up to 56.7 g kg⁻¹ of iron, 18.6 g kg⁻¹ of molybdenum, and less than 0.1 mg kg⁻¹ each of cobalt and nickel. These obtained results show that bioremediation of such waste is possible.

KEYWORDS:

• Toxic metal
• hazardous waste
• non-hazardous waste
• recycling

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (Contract number: 451-03-68/2022-14/200026, 451-03-68/2022-14/200134) for financial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tanja Jednak Berić

Tanja Jednak Berić - PhD student at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade. Her mentors at PhD studies are prof. Branimir Jovančićević and Dr Srđan Miletić.

J. Avdalović

J. Avdalović - Work at the University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy. She is included in research in applied microbiology, bioremediation, and bioleaching.

J. Milić

J Milić - A long time she worked with bioremediation and microorganisms applying. V. Teofilović has experience in analytical methods and she work at Faculty of Technology at University of Novi Sad.

M. M. Vrvić

Prof. M. M. Vrvić suggested the theme of the work.

B. Jovančićević

B. Jovančićević and S. Miletić are supervisors of the work. Both work in environmental biochemistry area.