Here comes the sun for oil sands clean up
A novel technique developed by University of Alberta civil engineering professors uses solar energy to accelerate the reclamation of tailings ponds.
These ponds are created as settling basin/storage containers for the mixture of water, sand, clay and residual oil left over after oil sands processing.
Instead of using UV lamps as a light source to treat oil sands process affected water (OSPW) retained in tailings ponds, professors Mohamed Gamal El-Din and James Bolton have found that sunlight treats the wastewater as efficiently and at a lower cost.
In a statement Gamal El-Din said: ‘We know it works, so now the challenge is to transfer it into the field. This alternative process not only addresses the need for managing these tailings ponds, but it may further be applied to treat municipal wastewater as well. Being a solar-driven process, the cost would be minimal compared to what’s being used in the field now.’
Oil sands tailings ponds contain a mixture of suspended solids, salts, and other dissolvable compounds including benzene, acids, and hydrocarbons.
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