Removal of direct dyes by coagulation: the performance of preformed polymeric aluminum species

Adsorption isotherms and kinetics studies of malachite green on chitin hydrogels

A chitin hydrogel with concentration 3 wt% (CG3) was successfully prepared from chitin solution dissolved in 8 wt% NaOH/4 wt% urea aqueous system at low temperature by crosslinking with 5 wt% epichlorohydrin. The experimental results revealed that CG3 exhibited high efficiency to remove dye (malachite green) from aqueous solution, as a result of their microporous structure, large surface area and affinity on the dye. The equilibrium process was described well by the Langmuir isotherm model, showing a monolayer adsorption. From kinetic experiments, the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that the overall rate of dye uptake could be controlled by external mass transfer at the beginning of adsorption, while intraparticle diffusion controlled the overall rate of adsorption at a later stage. The activation energy calculated from Arrhenius equation and the result of SEM and FTIR indicated that the adsorption of malachite green on the CG3 was physical process. This work provided an attractive adsorbent for removing of the hazardous materials from wastewater.

A review on chemical coagulation/flocculation technologies for removal of colour from textile wastewaters

Textile industry is one of the most chemically intensive industries on the earth and the major polluter of potable water. It generates huge quantities of complex chemical substances as a part of unused materials including dyes in the form of wastewater during various stages of textile processing. The direct discharge of this wastewater into environment affects its ecological status by causing various undesirable changes. As environmental protection becomes a global concern, industries are finding novel solutions for developing technologies that can diminish the environmental damage. However, colour removal from textile wastewater by means of cheaper and environmental friendly technologies is still a major challenge. In this manuscript, several options of decolourisation of textile wastewater by chemical means have been reviewed. Based on the present review, some novel pre-hydrolysed coagulants such as Polyaluminium chloride (PACl), Polyaluminium ferric chloride (PAFCl), Polyferrous sulphate (PFS) and Polyferric chloride (PFCl) have been found to be more effective and suggested for decolourisation of the textile wastewater. Moreover, use of natural coagulants for textile wastewater treatment has also been emphasised and encouraged as the viable alternative because of their eco-friendly nature.

Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel-based assemblies for organic dye removal from water

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid (pNIPAm-co-AAc) microgel assemblies (aggregates) were synthesized via polymerization of the cross-linker N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) in the presence of microgels in solution. In this case, the microgels were entrapped in the polymerized cross-linker network. The aggregates were investigated for their ability to remove the organic, azo dye molecule 4-(2-hydroxy-1-napthylazo) benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (Orange II) from water at both room and elevated temperatures. These results were compared with unaggregated microgels that were previously reported (Parasuraman, D.; Serpe, M. J. ACS. Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2011, 3, 2732.). It was found that the removal efficiency increased at elevated temperature, most likely due to the thermoresponsive nature of the pNIPAm-based aggregates, which expel water of solvation and deswell at higher temperature and reswell when they are cooled back to room temperature. Furthermore, increasing the number of cycles the aggregates are heated and cooled enhanced the percent removal of the dye from water. We also evaluated the effect of increasing cross-linker concentration on the removal efficiency, where we found the removal efficiency to increase with increasing cross-linker concentration in the aggregates. The maximum removal efficiency reached by the microgel aggregates at elevated temperatures was calculated to be 73.1%. This enhanced uptake is due to the presence of larger internal volume between the microgels in the aggregates, which the individual microgels lack. Control studies reveal that the structure and hydrophobicity of the aggregates lead to the enhanced uptake efficiencies and is not due to the presence of BIS alone. We determined that aggregates leak 75.6% of the dye that was originally removed from solution. The removal of Orange II by the aggregates at room temperature was fit by a Langmuir sorption isotherm.

Response surface optimization of acid red 119 dye from simulated wastewater using Al based waterworks sludge and polyaluminium chloride as coagulant

In this research, the performance of Polyaluminium Chloride (PAC) and Polyaluminium Chloride sludge (PACS) as coagulants for acid red 119 (AR119) dye removal from aqueous solutions were compared. The sample of PACS was collected from "Baba Sheikh Ali" water treatment plant (Isfahan, Iran) where PAC is used as a coagulant in the coagulation/flocculation process. A response surface methodology was applied to evaluate the simple and combined effects of the operating variables including initial pH, coagulant dosage and initial dye concentration and to optimize the operating conditions of the treatment process. Results reveal that the optimal conditions for dye removal were initial pH 3.42, coagulant dosage of 4.55 g dried PACS/L and initial dye concentration of 140 mg/L for PACS, while the optimal initial pH, coagulant dosage and initial dye concentration for PAC were 3.8, 57 mg/L and 140 mg/L, respectively. Under these optimal values of process parameters, the dye removal efficiency of 94.1% and 95.25% was observed for PACS and PAC, respectively. Although lower amount of PAC in comparison with PACS was needed for specific dye removal, the reuse of PACS as a low-cost material can offer some advantages such as high efficiency for AR119 dye removal and economic savings on overall water and wastewater treatment plant operation costs.

MnCl2 and MgCl2 for the removal of reactive dye Levafix Brilliant Blue EBRA from synthetic textile wastewaters: an adsorption/aggregation mechanism

Two divalent cation-based coagulants, magnesium chloride and manganese chloride, were used to treat synthetic textile wastewaters containing the azo-dye pigment Levafix Brilliant Blue EBRA. The jar-tests were performed in the presence or absence of auxiliary dyeing chemicals. They proved that (i) both divalent cation-based coagulants were effective in the treatment of those alkaline effluents, (ii) better performances in terms of color removal, residual turbidity, and settled volume, were achieved with manganese chloride, and (iii) the presence of dyeing auxiliaries significantly increases the required coagulant demand for treating the textile effluent. The dye removal mechanisms were investigated by combining observations of freeze-dried sediments with transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, adsorption experiments, and aggregates size measurements with a laser sizer under cyclic shear conditions. The results show that brucite (Mg(OH)(2)) particles are formed when applying MgCl(2) to the textile wastewaters, whereas a mixture of feitknechite (β-MnOOH) and hausmannite (Mn(3)O(4)) is obtained when using MnCl(2). More poorly crystallized particles are formed in presence of auxiliary dyeing chemicals. The adsorption experiments suggested that the azo-dye pigment adsorbs onto the surface of precipitating phases, whereas the aggregation dynamics indicated that a charge-neutralization mechanism underlies the formation of aggregates. The dye removal is then consistent with a precipitation/adsorption mechanism.

Magnetic dendritic materials for highly efficient adsorption of dyes and drugs

A versatile and robust adsorbent with both magnetic property and very high adsorption capacity is presented on the basis of functionalization of iron oxide-silica magnetic particles with carboxylic hyperbranched polyglycerol (Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/HPG-COOH). The structure of the resulting product was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta-potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to the TGA results, the density of the carboxylic groups on the surface of Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/HPG-COOH is calculated to be as high as 3.0 mmol/g, posing a powerful base for adsorbing dyes and drugs. Five kinds of dyes and one representative anticancer drug were chosen to investigate the adsorption capacity of the as-prepared magnetic adsorbent. The adsorbent shows highly efficient adsorption performance for all of the adsorbates especially for the cationic dyes and drug. For example, the saturated adsorption capacity of the Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/HPG-COOH for methyl violet (MV) can reach 0.60 mmol/g, which is much higher than the previous magnetic adsorbents (usually lower than 0.30 mmol/g). 95% of MV and 90% of R6G could be adsorbed within 5 min, and both of the adsorptions reached equilibrium in about 15 min. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm of the adsorbents were investigated in detail and found that the kinetic and equilibrium adsorptions are well-modeled using pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. In addition, the influences of pH and ionic strength on the adsorption capacity were also examined and found that pH has much greater effect on the adsorption capacity compared with the ionic strength. Regeneration experiments showed that the Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2)/HPG-COOH can be well-regenerated in ethanol and partially regenerated in 1 M HCl aqueous solution. After regeneration, the magnetic adsorbents can still show high adsorption capacity even for 10 cycles of desorption-adsorption. No obvious decreases of magnetic intensity and aggregation of adsorbents can be observed even after 10 cycles of adsorption-desorption.

Coagulation/flocculation process for dye removal using sludge from water treatment plant: optimization through response surface methodology

In this study, performance of a waterworks sludge (FCS: ferric chloride sludge) for the removal of acid red 119 (AR119) dye from aqueous solutions were investigated. For this purpose, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize three operating variables of coagulation/flocculation process including initial pH, coagulant dosage and initial dye concentration. The results showed that the decrease of initial pH was always beneficial for enhancing dye removal and no re-stabilization phenomenon was occurred even at the used maximum FCS dosage. It seems that iron hydroxides of the FCS could neutralize the negative charges on dye molecules or cause to the trapping of the dye ones. Therefore, the sweep flocculation and/or the charge neutralization might play key roles in the enhancement of dye removal. The optimum initial pH, FCS dosage and initial dye concentration were found to be 3.5, 236.68 mg dried FCS/L and 65.91 mg/L, respectively. Dye removal of 96.53% is observed which confirms close to RSM results. Therefore, it can be concluded that reusing the FCS as a low-cost material into the coagulation/flocculation process in wastewater treatment plants can offer some advantages such as high efficiency for AR119 dye removal and economic savings on overall treatment plant operation costs.

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on the adsorption of acidic dye by the gel anion exchanger

In the present study, the gel anion exchanger Purolite A-850 of N(+)(CH(3))(3) functional groups was used in order to remove the acidic dye (Acid Blue 29) from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were conducted to study the effect of phase contact time (1-180 min), initial concentration of dye (100-500 mg/L), solution pH (1-8), anion exchanger dosage (0.25-1.0 g) as well as temperature (20-40 degrees C). The contact time necessary to reach equilibrium was 40 min with the exception for the solution of the initial concentration 500 mg/L. The amounts of Acid Blue 29 adsorbed at equilibrium using the strongly basic anion exchanger were equal to 9.97, 19.97, 29.96 and 49.90 mg/g for the dye solutions of the initial concentrations 100, 200, 300 and 500 mg/L, respectively. The equilibrium sorption capacity slightly increased when the temperature of dye solution increased from 20 to 40 degrees C. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin models of adsorption. The adsorption isotherm data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm and the monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 83.303 mg/g at 20 degrees C. The value of R(L) was equal to 0.00054 (favourable). The kinetic data obtained at different concentrations were modeled using the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion equations. The experimental data were well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model.

Use of grape seed and its natural polyphenol extracts as a natural organic coagulant for removal of cationic dyes

Natural organic coagulants (NOCs) such as chitosan and Moringa oleifera seeds have been extensively characterized for potential application in water treatment as an alternative to metal-based coagulants. However, the action of both chitosan and M. oleifera seeds is mainly restricted to anionic organic pollutants because of their cationic functional groups affording poor cationic pollutant coagulation by electrostatic repulsion. In this study, we employed ethanolic grape seed extract (GSE) and grape seed-derived polyphenols such as tannic acid and catechin in an effort to find novel NOCs showing stable anionic forms for removal of cationic organic pollutants. The target substances tested were malachite green (MG) and crystal violet (CV), both mutagenic cationic dyes. Polyphenol treatment induced fast decolorization followed by gradual floc formation concomitant with red or blue shifts in maximum absorbance wavelengths of the cationic dyes. Liquid chromatography analysis of flocs formed by polyphenols directly showed that initial supramolecular complexes attributed mainly to electrostatic attraction between polyphenol hydroxyphenyl groups and cationic dyes further progressed into stronger aggregates, leading to precipitation of dye-polyphenol complexes. Consistent with the results obtained using catechin and tannic acid, use of GSE also resulted in effective decolorization and coagulation of soluble MG and CV in aqueous solutions. Screening of several organic GSE components for NOC activity strongly suggested that natural polyphenols are the main organic ingredients causing MG and CV removal via gradual floc formation. The treatment by natural polyphenols and GSE decreased toxicity of MG- or CV-contaminated water.

Removal of Alizarin Violet 3R (anthraquinonic dye) from aqueous solutions by natural coagulants

In this paper the ability of two natural products in removing dyes has been tested. After a preliminary screening for dye removal capacity, a tannin-based coagulant called ACQUAPOL C-1 and a vegetal protein extract derived from Moringa oleifera seed have been fully studied. The influence of several parameters such as pH, temperature or initial dye concentration (IDC) have been tested and the behavior of both coagulants has been compared. pH results to be an interesting variable and dye removal decreases as pH increases. This effect is higher in ACQUAPOL C-1 than in M. oleifera seed extract. Temperature seems not to be so affecting parameter, while IDC appears to be a very important variable in q(c) capacity, which is higher as IDC increases. Langmuir isotherm model fits very well in both cases of ACQUAPOL C-1 and M. oleifera seed extract dye removal.

Radiation induced degradation of dyes--an overview

Synthetic dyes are a major part of our life. Products ranging from clothes to leather accessories to furniture all depend on extensive use of organic dyes. An unfortunate side effect of extensive use of these chemicals is that huge amounts of these potentially carcinogenic compounds enter our water supplies. Various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) including the use of high-energy radiation have been developed to degrade these compounds. In this review, dye decoloration and degradation as a result of its exposure to high energy radiation such as gamma radiation and pulsed electron beam are discussed in detail. The role of various transient species such as H, OH and e(aq)(-) are taken into account as reported by various researchers. Literature citations in this area show that e(aq)(-) is very effective in decolorization but is less active in the further degradation of the products formed. The degradation of the dyes is initiated exclusively by OH attack on electron-rich sites of the dye molecules. Additionally, various parameters that affect the efficiency of radiation induced degradation of dyes, such as effect of radiation dose, oxygen, pH, hydrogen peroxide, added ions and dye classes are also reviewed and summarized. Lastly, pilot plant application of radiation for wastewater treatment is briefly discussed.

Application of low-cost adsorbents for dye removal--a review

Dyes are an important class of pollutants, and can even be identified by the human eye. Disposal of dyes in precious water resources must be avoided, however, and for that various treatment technologies are in use. Among various methods adsorption occupies a prominent place in dye removal. The growing demand for efficient and low-cost treatment methods and the importance of adsorption has given rise to low-cost alternative adsorbents (LCAs). This review highlights and provides an overview of these LCAs comprising natural, industrial as well as synthetic materials/wastes and their application for dyes removal. In addition, various other methods used for dye removal from water and wastewater are also complied in brief. From a comprehensive literature review, it was found that some LCAs, in addition to having wide availability, have fast kinetics and appreciable adsorption capacities too. Advantages and disadvantages of adsorbents, favourable conditions for particular adsorbate-adsorbent systems, and adsorption capacities of various low-cost adsorbents and commercial activated carbons as available in the literature are presented. Conclusions have been drawn from the literature reviewed, and suggestions for future research are proposed.

Removal of direct blue-86 from aqueous solution by new activated carbon developed from orange peel

The use of low-cost, easy obtained, high efficiency and eco-friendly adsorbents has been investigated as an ideal alternative to the current expensive methods of removing dyes from wastewater. This study investigates the potential use of activated carbon prepared from orange peel for the removal of direct blue-86 (DB-86) (Direct Fast Turquoise Blue GL) dye from simulated wastewater. The effects of different system variables, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, pH and contact time were studied. The results showed that as the amount of the adsorbent increased, the percentage of dye removal increased accordingly. Optimum pH value for dye adsorption was determined as approximately 2.0. Maximum dye was sequestered within 30min after the beginning for every experiment. The adsorption of direct blue-86 followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation and fit well Langmuir, Tempkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) equations better than Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equations. The maximum removal of direct blue-86 was obtained at pH 2 as 92% for adsorbent dose of 6gL(-1) and 100mgL(-1) initial dye concentration at room temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir equation was 33.78mgg(-1). Furthermore, adsorption kinetics of DB-86 was studied and the rate of adsorption was found to conform to pseudo-second-order kinetics with a good correlation (R2>0.99) with intraparticle diffusion as one of the rate determining steps. Activated carbon developed from orange peel can be attractive options for dye removal from diluted industrial effluents since test reaction made on simulated dyeing wastewater show better removal percentage of DB-86.