Alkylphenols saline waters

Bennett and Barter (1997) discuss the effect of partitioning-dissolution in an aqueous phase of alkylphenol. Specifically, they show that the depletion of this crude oil component affects the chemical composition of the original pollutant. Partitioning at equilibrium can be considered the maximum dissolution value of a compound under optimal solvation conditions. Partitioning-dissolution is obtained by washing the crude oil with saline water at variable temperature and pressure conditions, similar to those in the subsurface. The data reported were obtained using a partition device able to simulate the natural environmental conditions of a crude oil reservoir. The alkylphenol partition coefficients between crude oil and saline subsurface water were measured as a function of variation in pressure, temperature, and water salinity. Preliminary trials proved that the experimental device did not allow alkylphenol losses due to volatilization. 

Chriswell and Cheng [65] have shown that chlorophenols and alkylphenols in the pbb to ppm range in non saline waters and treated drinking water can be determined by sorption on macroporous anion exchange resin, elution with acetone and measurement by gas chromatography. 

Alkylphenol derivatives in the Mediterranean Sea The behaviour of lipophilic metabolites of AgPEO in the Venice lagoon, Italy, was studied in detail by Marcomini et al. [2,3]. Salinity in this estuary is in the range of 25-35%o, and both industrial and domestic wastewater is discharged into the lagoon. Water samples were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) [2]. 

Bennett and Larter (1997) also studied the solvation of alkylphenols in crude oil-water systems at equilibrium to obtain partitioning coefficients under variable temperature, pressure, and water salinity concentration. Alkylphenol depletion from crude oil, expressed by phenol, cresols, and 3,5 dimethyl phenol, versus temperature in a range of 25-125°C, is given in terms of partition coefficient (P) values (Fig. 16.22). Partition coefficient values increase with addition of alkyl groups to the phenol nucleus. Note that the alkylphenol partition coefficient curves for different isomers tend to converge at higher temperatures and, as a consequence, differences between phenol and p-cresol decrease with increases in temperature. Similar results for oil-deionised water and oil-brine experiments show that increasing temperature leads to a decrease in partition coefficient values. 

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