INTRODUCTION The textile industry is one of the most intensive industries in chemical products whose wastewater contains hazardous dyes, pigments, dissolved/suspended solids, and heavy metals . it is important to effectively treat the wastewater generated by this industry before releasing it into the environment
Major exporters of textiles in the world
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According to textile fiber they use, textile industries are classified as: 1) Cellulose fibers are obtained from plant sources such as cotton, rayon, linen, ramie, hemp and lyocell. 2) Protein fibers are obtained from animals and include wool , angora, mohair, cashmere and silk. 3) Artificially synthesized fibers include polyester, nylon, spandex, acetate, acrylic, ingeo and polypropylene. TYPES OF TEXTILE
CHARACTERISTICS OF TEXTILE WASTEWATER It is important to characterize textile wastewater to develop effective treatment methods and process flow . Wastewater is primarily produced during the execution of four steps: pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and functional finishing Composite textile wastewater is primarily characterized by analyzing BOD, COD, suspended solids (SS), and dissolved solids (DS)
The classic characteristics of the conventional textile industry wastewater are presented Code Parameters Values 1 pH 6–10 2 Temperature (°C) 35–45 3 Biochemical oxygen demand (mg/L) 80–6,000 4 Chemical oxygen demand (mg/L) 150–12,000 5 Oil and grease (mg/L) 10–30 6 Total suspended solids (mg/L) 15–8,000 7 Free ammonia <10 8 Total dissolved solids (mg/L) 2,900–3,100 9 Chloride (mg/L) 1,000–1,600 10 Sodium (mg/L) 70
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND TOXICITY OF TEXTILE WASTEWATER Textile wastewater is hazardous to the environment as it contains carcinogenic, toxic, mutagenic, and difficult-to-degrade compounds It has been reported that approximately 2,000 different types of chemicals (dye, transfer agents, etc .) Dyes are one of the main contaminants present in wastewater released by the textile industry The color of these dyes can potentially change the extent of turbidity causes, COD value, pH value, and temperature of the water body
TECHNOLOGIES CURRENTLY IN USE TO TREAT TEXTILE WASTEWATER
In the past two years, different treatment techniques have been studied to realize the sustainable degradation of textile wastewater The choice of appropriate treatment method depends on the production process and the chemicals used in the textile plant . A combination of these treatment methods has also been used to treat textile wastewater in an economically effective manner . It has been reported that these techniques can be effectively used for textile wastewater treatment
Physical methods (adsorption, membrane filtration, and reverse osmosis) Physical treatment methods involve the removal of substances from wastewater by exploiting commonly occurring forces (e.g., electrical attractive, gravitational, and/or van der Waals forces) or physical barriers . I t is environmentally important to remove dyes from colored effluents (especially from the effluents produced by the textile industries ). The use of these methods does not cause a change in the chemical structure of the substances present in water
Chemical methods (electrokinetic coagulation, Fenton's oxidation, and ozonation) Various chemicals are used during the execution of various processes to accelerate the process of disinfecting wastewater during purification . These processes accompany various biological and physical processes Conventional chemical methods (coagulation and flocculation), electrochemical techniques, and AOPs are some of the methods and techniques that are commonly used to treat textile wastewater .
Biological methods (fungal decolorization and microbial enzyme degradation) The process of biological degradation of dyes is a green technique that can be used for removing dyes from textile wastewater . The cost of operation is minimum, and the process can be conducted under conditions of an optimal operating time . Various bacteria can be used to effectively remove dyed from wastewater as they can effectively discolor various dyes under anaerobic or aerobic conditions
The most effective wastewater treatment method for textile plants is the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) method The MBBR method is a biological treatment process that utilizes biofilm technology and aeration. In this system, wastewater enters an aeration tank containing small, geometrically-shaped plastic media. Key benefits of the MBBR method for textile wastewater treatment include : Efficiency : It effectively removes contaminants and can handle continuous high-volume loads. Cost-effectiveness : It is self-sufficient, requiring less monitoring and fewer controls than other systems, which saves time and money. Longer lifespan : The use of durable PTFE membranes in MBBR systems contributes to their longevity.
CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS Although physico–chemical methods are primarily used to treat wastewater, these methods lack versatility . Various wastewater components interfere with the treatment process, limiting the practical applications of these methods. The microbial decolorization method is economical and environmentally friendly. Further studies should be conducted to develop ways of treating textile wastewater
CONCLUSION Textile wastewater contains color and is characterized by high TDS, BOD, COD, and total suspended solids (TSS ). Hence, it is difficult to treat textile wastewater In general, in the textile industry, choosing the most effective and cheapest treatment processes or their combinations based on the dyestuffs and dyeing methods utilized during the production.