Wastewater Treatment Techniques for Tannery Effluents
Summary
Tannery wastewater presents a complex pollutant load, typically characterised by elevated concentrations of chromium, high salinity, strong colour, organic matter and a spectrum of dissolved solids. Effective treatment is essential to meet stringent discharge standards, mitigate ecological damage and enable water reuse. Conventional approaches include coagulation–flocculation followed by sedimentation, which removes suspended solids and a proportion of chromium complexes. Biological processes such as activated sludge, biofilm reactors and constructed wetlands are widely applied to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and degrade organic load, yet they often struggle with high salinity and inhibitory chromium levels. Adsorption onto activated carbon or low-cost biomaterials offers targeted metal removal, while membrane technologies (micro-, ultra-, nano-filtration and reverse osmosis) permit fine separation but incur fouling and energy costs. Electrochemical methods, notably electrocoagulation, harness in situ generation of coagulant species to precipitate metals and destabilise colloids. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) including Fenton, photocatalysis and ozonation break down recalcitrant organics and enhance biodegradability. Current trends emphasise integrated or hybrid schemes that combine physical, chemical and biological units to optimise performance, reduce sludge volume and recover chromium for circular-economy applications. Real-world implementation demands cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency and minimal secondary pollution, driving research towards novel materials, process intensification and sustainable residue management.
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Wastewater Treatment Techniques for Tannery Effluents publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in wastewater treatment techniques for tannery effluents across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): A measure of the oxygen consumed by microorganisms degrading organic matter in water over a specified period.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): The amount of oxygen required to oxidise both biodegradable and non-biodegradable organic compounds in wastewater.
Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): Treatment techniques that generate highly reactive radicals (e.g., hydroxyl radicals) to mineralise recalcitrant pollutants.
Electrocoagulation: An electrochemical treatment in which sacrificial anodes release coagulant ions that precipitate contaminants and destabilise colloids.
Adsorption: The adhesion of dissolved substances, such as heavy metals, onto the surface of a solid sorbent material.
Membrane Separation: A physical barrier process (e.g., micro-, ultra-, nano-filtration, reverse osmosis) that removes particles and dissolved solutes by size exclusion or charge effects.
References
- Chromium adsorption from water using mesoporous magnetic iron oxide-aluminum silicate adsorbent: An investigation of adsorption isotherms and kinetics. Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry (2023).
- Tannery wastewater treatment: conventional and promising processes, an updated 20-year review. Collagen and Leather (2022).
- Tannery effluent treatment and its environmental impact: a review of current practices and emerging technologies. Water Quality Research Journal (2023).
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