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Methods for the Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Dyes and Pigments

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Water Pollution and Remediation: Organic Pollutants

Abstract

Dyes and pigments are complex organic molecules that are widely utilized in different industries leading to effluent discharge, thus polluting water and disturbing the aquatic life. A wide range of physicochemical and biological methods have been introduced for the dye remediation. Constant research developments over the last decade resulted in the evolution of traditional physiochemical methods into advanced oxidation processes. Likewise, biological treatments have also advanced from using microorganisms to biocatalysts and integrated biochemical approaches for dye remediation.

We reviewed a large number of research articles to provide a connoisseur scientific insight based on the existing methodologies and recent advancements in the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewaters. All physical, chemical, and biological methods show the capability to remove selective dyes; however, the mechanisms, conditions, and limitations of each procedure are different. The use of adsorbents, nanofiltration, coagulation-flocculation, and ion-exchange methods have gained popularity because of feasible operational measures, flexibility, low cost, and harmless end products. Chemical, photocatalytic, and electrochemical processes are considered equally useful but involve sludge production, causing a secondary pollution problem. Biological methods, on the other hand, utilize microorganisms or biocatalysts for dye remediation and provide cost-competitive and eco-friendly alternatives to other methods. Current research is focused on improving the specificity, robustness, and scalability of individual practices as well as designing the novel approaches based on integrated and emerging techniques.

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Correspondence to Raja Shahid Ashraf , Gulzar Muhammad or Muhammad Altaf .

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Ashraf, R.S. et al. (2021). Methods for the Treatment of Wastewaters Containing Dyes and Pigments. In: Inamuddin, Ahamed, M.I., Lichtfouse, E. (eds) Water Pollution and Remediation: Organic Pollutants. Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World, vol 54. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52395-4_17

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