Using biochemical agents to intensify the treatment of highly concentrated drilling wastewater

Introduction. The co-authors have developed a new approach to the treatment of highly concentrated drilling wastewater (DWW). The approach is based on the enzymic degradation of polysaccharides that drilling wastewater contains. The research objective is to perform an experimental evaluation of the ability of this biochemical agent to intensify the process of removal of solid impurities from highly concentrated polysaccharide-containing DWW. Materials and methods. The research was performed using standardized test solutions of polysaccharides (carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), xanthane gum, guar gum), highly concentrated DWW-containing polysaccharides. The reliability of results is ensured by certified methods of analysis, included into the Federal Register of Measurement Procedures and performed by an accredited laboratory, as well as multiple series of experiments. Results. The ability of the biochemical agents (brewing waste (BW) and an enzymatic agent (EP)) to intensify the process of removal of solid impurities from highly concentrated DWW-containing polysaccharides is identified experimentally. The efficiency of biochemical agents used in the process of treatment is determined. The biological degradation of CMC and guar gum solutions is faster than the natural biological degradation that involves BW. Depolymerization time is detected for CMC and guar gum solutions that contain EP. Conclusions. The co-authors have developed a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to existing solutions. It represents a biological method of solid impurities removal from highly concentrated BWW-containing polysaccharides. The use of brewing waste products (BW) as a source of microorganisms, that trigger the polysaccharide hydrolysis, is theoretically substantiated and experimentally proven as a method of treatment of highly concentrated BWW-containing polysaccharides. The expediency of using biochemical agents (BW and EP in isolation) to accelerate the settling rate of solid components of highly concentrated BWW is proven experimentally.