PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF PRODUCED WATER USING TIO2 ACID ACTIVATED BENTONITE COMPOSITE.

Produced water, a major byproduct of petroleum extraction, contains a complex mixture of organic and inorganic contaminants such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and suspended solids, which pose severe environmental risks if discharged untreated. Conventional treatment methods are often expensive and inefficient in achieving complete degradation of such pollutants. This study investigates the photodegradation of produced water using bentonite clay doped with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as an efficient and eco-friendly treatment approach. The bentonite–TiO₂ composite was synthesized and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X ray Fluorescence (XRF) to determine its structural and morphological properties. Photocatalytic degradation experiments were performed with a photocatalytic reactor, utilizing natural sunlight as the irradiation source varying operational parameters such as pH, contact time, and catalyst dosage (2–10 g). The treatment performance was evaluated using Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) analyses before and after photodegradation. Results showed a consistent decrease in both BOD and COD values with increasing catalyst dosage from 8.13 to 3.55 mg/L (BOD) and 5270 to 1420 mg/L (COD) representing approximately 56% and 73% reductions, respectively. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the TiO₂–bentonite composite in degrading organic pollutants in produced water.