Oil removal from crude oil-in-saline water emulsions using chitosan as biosorbent

The sorption of oil from crude oil-in-saline water emulsions was studied using chitosan as biosorbent. The main parameters investigated were chitosan dosage, contact time, and initial crude oil concentration at fixed initial pH. The results showed that the sorption equilibrium was reached within 120 min at oil content as low as 20 mg L−1. Sorption depends on initial oil concentration and sorbent dosage and may reach up to 95% efficiency in the most favorable conditions. The residual oil concentrations obtained after sorption were always beneath the official limit of oil discharge into environment.