Exergetic analysis of the chitosan-based treatment process for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from seawater and sediments

The Bay of Cartagena (Colombia) is a site of commercial interest owing to its privileged location for maritime operations; however, the discharge of wastewaters from industrial activities and domestic sewage are affecting the water quality, and consequently, the biodiversity of coastal ecosystems. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found in sediments and water of main ports, causing severe damage to the ecosystem. Thus, alternatives for the treatment of the Bay of Cartagena’s water and sediments are needed. In this paper, we performed the exergetic analysis of removing PAHs from water and sediments in the Bay of Cartagena using an adsorption-based treatment process with chitosan microbeads and magnetic nanoparticles (CM-TiO2/Fe3O4). The outcomes of exergy of utilities, irreversibilities and exergy losses were calculated using process data and exergy of substances. The Aspen plus V10 software provided the physical exergies, while chemical exergies were gathered from the literature. Overall exergy efficiency of 0.3% was determined for the seawater and sediment treatment facility. A sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the impact and viability of different design alternatives.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa Nr 461252 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2021).