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A converged approach of electro-biological process for decolorization and degradation of toxic synthetic dyes

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Abstract

Being one of the leading industries worldwide, the textile industry has been consuming large quantities of groundwater and discharging huge volumes of dye-contaminated effluents into our aquatic environment. Augmentation of water sources via reuse of treated effluents is therefore highly necessary. In the present study, the decolorization and degradation of synthetic toxic dye from an aqueous solution were investigated through an electro-biological route. Initially, decolorization of synthetic dye solutions (100, 500, and 1000 mg L−1) was carried out by electrooxidation process using mixed metal oxide and titanium as anode and cathode, respectively. The electrooxidation solutions were further treated using bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) that were isolated from petroleum-transporting pipelines. UV–Vis, TOC, chemical oxygen demand, and NMR analyses revealed that the biodegradation process with electrooxidation enhanced the mineralization of the synthetic dye solutions. An optimum NaCl electrolyte concentration of 3 g L−1 was sufficient to produce reactive species viz., free chlorine and hypochlorite, which are responsible for the Reactive Blue 19 (RB-19) decolorization. Among the three RB-19 concentrations, the highest removal percentage was noticed at 100 mg L−1 (100%) with energy consumption and energy costs equal to 5.44 kWh m−3 and 0.65 USD m−3, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank CSIR for sponsoring this project under Sustainable Environmental Technology for Chemical and Allied Industries (SETCA)—Project No: CSC 0113. The authors extend their appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP-2021/311), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One of the authors, Mr. Venkatesan Muthukumar, Scientific Assistant, conducted the NMR analysis at the Dept. of Chemistry, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, 630 003, India

    Sivasankar Annamalai

  2. School of Architecture, Civil, Environmental and Energy Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea

    Sivasankar Annamalai

  3. Department of Chemistry, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

    Venkatesan Muthukumar

  4. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Manal M. Alkhulaifi

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  1. Sivasankar Annamalai
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Correspondence to Sivasankar Annamalai.

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Highlights

• Optimization of NaCl concentration for effective decolorization and degradation of synthetic toxic dyes.

• Complete mineralization of Reactive Blue 19 (RB-19) was achieved after the EO–Bio process.

• NMR spectra reveal the effective removal of aromatic compounds in the EO–Bio treatment of RB-19.

• Lower energy consumption and cost were needed for RB-19 dye decolorization and degradation.

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Annamalai, S., Muthukumar, V. & Alkhulaifi, M.M. A converged approach of electro-biological process for decolorization and degradation of toxic synthetic dyes. Environ Monit Assess 195, 14 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10583-x

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