People living in Jaffna are facing a grave threat in accessing clean drinking water due to groundwater pollution caused by oil leakage. In recent days, oil waste is clearly observed in drinking-water sources (wells etc.) in Chunnagam and Valigamam areas. Wells are the prime and mostly the sole source of water in Jaffna and this contamination is severely affecting the livelihood in those areas. This issue has resulted in scarcity for clean drinking water for the people living in the areas. No satisfactory action has been taken yet by authorities. Hence, there is an imminent need to create awareness of the issue to a wider audience in order to accelerate the phase at which actions are taken to solve the issue. Can anybody give a sustainable solution for this burning issue in Northern Sri Lanka?
One efficient way is to use suitable micro-organisms or some specific species of plants or trees indigenous to that area which are capable of disintegration. Some researches have proved the efficacy of species of trees capable of oil removal from soil and water in Iran, which were found to be quick and sustainable. But maybe you'd better search for appropriate ones native to your region. Here is a link to try some of research results done in the University of Tehran.
Dear Bedigama,
You may try sand & or carbon filter/ bed to remove oil waste from well water. Also you can try sedimentation flocculation technique to remove oil from water. Have you tested contaminated water once we know the quality of contaminated water the recommendation of effective method will become easy. Look forward for your reply.
Shripad Joshi
Similar questions was asked by another from Jaffna university. It is quite impossible to remove contaminated oil from bulk of ground water. Nevertheless, contaminant be removed by specific chemical techniques after identifying the kind of oil responsible. It is also possible to develop oil eating bacteria strains , which is a rather difficult task. In the case of Chunnagam and Valigamam areas. in Jaffna, the most appropriate method is identify the source of oil pollution and preventing it entering to the grough water.
The polluted aquifer is hard to clean, need long time to remove by physical and chemical methods. the first action is trying to stop people drinking the groundwater, the seconf action is screening the range of migration oil by install the simple monitoring wells ASAP, then control the oil leakage and pump back the oil in wells and aquifer as possible you can. after the condition is stable, thinking the next step to treat the aquifer by biological or chemical methods.
Yes if possible, solution is to work with a physicochemical treatment system ( " flocculation " ) or activated carbon adsorption or sand Ultra Filtration
In an normal oil mixture exists a waste group of organic and inorganic compounds who can affect the quality of water. The main organic group are the BTEX's ( Benzene, Toluene, Ethane & Xilene), that are usually described as LNAPL (lighter-non miscible in water) that normally appear around the prheatic level, floating over the water table. Other group is the PAHS (Policiclic Aromatic Hidrocarbons) with a more complex behaviour ( for instance, different capacity of retention in the Non saturated Zone of the aquifer) and at least, a wide group of other compounds or additives with a more capacity of disolution in water (for instance, the MTBE alcohol, in non-Lead benzines). The results of these facts is the formation of a multiphase contamination plume, who affect, with different impact grade, the soil-non saturated, the prehatic-capilar area, and the saturated zone of the aquifer, with a complex, but no unpossible remediation solution. These remediation techonologies have to combine, hidraulic, geochemicals and microbiological methodologies to solve the problem, and requires a previous good knowledge of the affected aquifer, an specific design in each case, and time.
good luck.
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