Wastewater Treatment Strategies for Textile Dye Removal

Textile dye effluents present a complex environmental challenge due to their high colour load, recalcitrant organic compounds and potential toxicity. Conventional approaches encompass physical methods such as adsorption onto activated carbon or biochar, membrane separation via ultrafiltration and nanofiltration, and coagulation–flocculation. Chemical strategies include advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as Fenton’s reaction, ozone injection and photocatalysis using semiconductor materials. Biological treatments exploit specialised bacteria, fungi or algae to degrade dye molecules, often integrated in constructed wetlands or microbial fuel cells. Hybrid systems combine these techniques to balance removal efficiency, energy demand and operational cost. Recent efforts focus on novel nanomaterials and bio-based adsorbents to enhance selectivity and reuse, as well as on process intensification to reduce footprint. Broad implementation is driven by regulatory pressure and the drive towards a circular economy, where treated water may be safely recycled in textile production or discharged without harm to aquatic ecosystems.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Wastewater Treatment Strategies for Textile Dye Removal publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in wastewater treatment strategies for textile dye removal across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adsorption: The adhesion of dye molecules onto the surface of a solid material, commonly activated carbon or biochar, used to concentrate and remove colourants from water.

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Chemical treatment methods relying on highly reactive radicals (e.g. hydroxyl radicals) to oxidise and break down complex organic dye molecules.

Membrane Filtration: A separation technique using semipermeable membranes (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis) to physically reject dye molecules and other solutes based on size and charge.

Photocatalysis: A process in which light-activated catalysts (often titanium dioxide or novel nanomaterials) generate reactive species to degrade organic contaminants.

Microbial Fuel Cell: A bioelectrochemical system that employs electrogenic microorganisms to both degrade organic pollutants and generate electrical current.

References

1. Groundwater conservation, and recycling and reuse of textile wastewater in a denim industry of Bangladesh. Water Resources and Industry (2024).
2. A review on advanced physico-chemical and biological textile dye wastewater treatment techniques. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology (2020).
3. Factors Affecting Synthetic Dye Adsorption; Desorption Studies: A Review of Results from the Last Five Years (2017–2021). Molecules (2021).
4. Textile Industry Effluent Treatment Techniques. Journal of Chemistry (2021).