Against the backdrop of China’s rapid economic growth, resource and environmental issues have garnered widespread attention, with water pollution emerging as a pressing concern. The prevailing tenet is to “ensure effective wastewater treatment and guarantee water quality safety”, which has consequently elevated the requirements for petrochemical wastewater treatment. In this paper, we collaborate with manufacturers of online water quality monitoring instruments to examine the wastewater monitoring indicators specific to petroleum refineries.
Wastewater Monitoring Points in Petroleum Refineries
Water quality monitoring instruments are required at the following key discharge points: the total effluent outlet, wastewater discharge outlets of workshops or production facilities, and rainwater discharge outlets. The specific monitoring indicators for each point are as follows:
1.Total wastewater discharge outlet: Flow rate, chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, petroleum hydrocarbons, pH value, suspended solids (SS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), sulfides, volatile phenols, total organic carbon (TOC), total vanadium, benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, and total cyanide.
2.Wastewater discharge outlets for cold coking water and coke cutting water of delayed coking units: Benzo(a)pyrene.
3.Wastewater discharge outlet of electric desalting systems in atmospheric and vacuum distillation units: Total mercury, alkylmercury.
4.Wastewater discharge outlet of sour water stripping units: Total arsenic.
5.Wastewater discharge outlets of flue gas desulfurization systems for catalytic gasoline adsorption desulfurization units and catalytic cracking units: Total nickel.
6.Wastewater discharge outlets of tetraethyl lead production units and aviation gasoline blending workshops: Total lead.
7.Rainwater discharge outlet: pH value, COD, ammonia nitrogen, petroleum hydrocarbons, and SS.
Supplementary Monitoring Requirements
The following operational protocols must be adhered to:
1.Automatic monitoring equipment shall be installed to enable real-time tracking of all indicators.
2.Flow rate monitoring must be synchronized with pollutant concentration measurements.
3.Daily monitoring shall be conducted during the discharge period.
Characteristics of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater
Petroleum refining is a core segment of the petroleum industry, where crude oil is processed via refining engineering to supply feedstocks for various petroleum product sectors. Wastewater generated by the petroleum refining industry exhibits distinct characteristics, including high salinity, significant fluctuations in water volume, and frequent occurrence of shock loads. Furthermore, even after treatment by wastewater systems, effluents may still contain substantial amounts of refractory organic compounds. Therefore, zero-discharge technology solutions tailored to the petrochemical industry are deemed most appropriate for such wastewater.
Key Terminology Notes
– Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): A standard metric for quantifying organic pollutant levels in water.
– Shock Load: Sudden, short-term spikes in pollutant concentration or water volume that disrupt wastewater treatment system stability.
– Zero-Discharge Technology: A process that recycles all wastewater, eliminating direct discharge of effluents to the environment.
This revised version aligns with academic writing conventions through:
1.Formal tone and structured sectioning (numbered headings, hierarchical organization).
2.Standardized technical terminology.
3.Clear delineation of requirements vs. characteristics, enhancing logical flow.
4.Supplementary terminology notes to clarify industry-specific jargon for academic readers.
