LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF SURFACTANT-MODIFIED ZEOLITE FOR REMOVAL OF BTEX FROM PRODUCED WATERS

J. Michael Ranck*
Robert S. Bowman
New Mexico Tech
Department of Earth and Environmental Science
801 Leroy Place
Socorro, NM 87801
Voice: 505-835-5466
Fax: 505-835-6436
E-mail: ranck@nmt.edu

Lynn E. Katz
Brian Carrico
University of Texas-Austin
Austin, TX

Enid J. Sullivan
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, NM

Produced water contains high levels of various hazardous organic compounds including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Benzene concentrations can exceed the U.S. drinking water standard by a factor of more than 7000. Earlier we reported laboratory and field evidence that surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) effectively removes BTEX from produced waters, and that SMZ could be regenerated once without loss of sorption capacity. In the current study we report on the effectiveness of SMZ for BTEX removal after multiple sorption/regeneration cycles, and on changes of SMZ sorption characteristics over time. Preliminary results suggest SMZ's BTEX removal efficiency actually increases with use, apparently due to retention of low-volatility produced-water components that also serve as a sorption medium. A cost analysis indicates SMZ-based systems can be competitive with other produced-water treatment technologies.