S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Jodhpur has unveiled a pioneering technique for treating wastewater from the textile dyeing industry, notorious for releasing harmful substances like azo dyes into the environment.
This new method leverages environmentally friendly far ultraviolet (UV) light at 222 nm, offering significant advantages over conventional mercury-based UV light at 254 nm, say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
Key Aspects
The Problem: Textile dyeing and manufacturing industry produces large quantities of wastewater containing persistent contaminants like azo dyes, which are challenging to remove using conventional methods.
Effective treatment of this wastewater is crucial to prevent environmental pollution and promote sustainable water reuse, say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
The Solution: Researchers at IIT Jodhpur, led by Dr. Ram Prakash, Professor in the Department of Physics, along with PhD students Ms. Kiran Ahlawat and Mr. Ramavtar Jangra, have developed a novel approach using a 222 nm Kr/Cl2 excimer UV light source.
Their method has shown remarkable effectiveness in breaking down Reactive Black 5 (RB5), a common dye in textile wastewater.
The study, published recently in Nature:
Scientific Reports (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63012-z), explored both direct photolysis and an advanced oxidation process (AOP) using titanium dioxide (TiO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
The degradation rate of RB5 was found to be approximately 27 times faster with their designed excimer-222 light and H2O2 AOP compared to conventional UV-C based methods, say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
Key Findings
# Enhanced Absorption: The higher molar absorption coefficient of RB5 dye at 222 nm significantly improves degradation efficiency.
# Energy Efficiency: The 222 nm UV light and H2O2 process is five times more energy-efficient than using TiO2, making it more sustainable and cost-effective.
# Optimal Conditions: The highest degradation rates were achieved at an alkaline pH of 10, which is typical for textile wastewater, eliminating the need for pH adjustment.
# Degradation Pathway: Advanced analytical techniques established a detailed pathway for RB5 degradation under 222 nm UV light.
# Environmental Impact: The mercury-free UV lamps and the non-toxic nature of the treated water make the process environmentally friendly and suitable for reuse in agriculture, say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
Broader Implications
This innovative method offers several benefits over conventional wastewater treatment techniques:
# Eco-Friendly: Avoids hazardous chemicals and eliminates the need for catalyst recovery.
# Energy Saving: Significantly reduces energy consumption.
# Scalable: Can be scaled up for industrial applications, providing a viable solution for the global textile industry.
# Eco-Friendly: Avoids hazardous chemicals and eliminates the need for catalyst recovery.
Energy Saving: Significantly reduces energy consumption.
# Scalable: Can be scaled up for industrial applications, providing a viable solution for the global textile industry.
Sustainable Management
The researchers believe this breakthrough could pave the way for more sustainable wastewater management practices, not only in the textile industry but also in other sectors producing similar pollutants.
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Future Directions
The team at IIT Jodhpur plans to conduct further research to optimize the process and explore its application in real-world industrial settings.
Additionally, they aim to investigate the use of far UV-C light for other environmental cleanup operations and sustainable agricultural practices.
About IIT Jodhpur
| Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur was established in 2008, to foster technology education and research in India.
The Institute is committed to technological thought and action to benefit the economic development of India. Scholarship in teaching and learning; Scholarship in research and creative accomplishments; and relevance to Industry are three driving forces for us at IIT Jodhpur. |
| IIT Jodhpur functions from its sprawling residential Permanent Campus of 852 acres on National Highway 65, north-northwest of Jodhpur towards Nagaur.
This campus is meticulously planned and envisioned to stand as a symbol of academics – simple, but deep. |
| The Institute is committed to multidisciplinary approach of technology development.
Hence, it has established state-of-the-art laboratories for basic research, and has organized its academic degree activities through Departments and its coordinated research through Centers for Technologies. |
