Ultraviolet Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Oil in Water Effluent Using Isopropanol as Co-solvent

by Trevor Bastow, William H. Durnie, *Alan Jefferson, and James Pang, School of Applied Chemistry, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth 6001, Western Australia

Direct analysis of oily water effluents was investigated as a method for the determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in the discharge from primary oil production facilities. A co-solvent, isopropanol (2-propanol), was chosen which produced a clear, homogeneous solution when added to oil in water effluent. The clear solution was then analyzed directly for aromatic hydrocarbon content using ultraviolet spectroscopy. The concentration of oil in the sample was calculated from a Lambert-Beer plot at 226 nm. The standard used was a sample of oil which best represented the oil which had contacted the water, i.e., current production crude oil