Grantee Research Project Results

Biosorption of Dyes from Textile Industry Effluents Using Macroalgae

EPA Grant Number: SU835527
Title: Biosorption of Dyes from Textile Industry Effluents Using Macroalgae
Investigators: Murthy, Ganti S , Juneja, Ankita , Kumar, Deepak , Hohenschuh, William
Current Investigators: Murthy, Ganti S , Anderson, Austin , Kumar, Deepak , Tabatabaie, S.M.H. , Hart, Thomas
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2013 through August 14, 2014
Project Amount: $10,264
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2013) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The overall objective of this study is to investigate the potential use of macroalgae for removal of dyes from industrial water effluent, specifically from textile industries. We aim to study the feasibility of using brown macroalgae species Sargassum for dye removal from simulated textile water effluent streams in batch and continuous adsorption columns, an energy efficient and low cost solution to treat waste water from textile industries. This proposal will directly address the issue of water availability by increasing the water reuse in textile industries.

Approach:

The biosorption capacities of Sargassum will be investigatedin the batch and continuous columns. Batch experiments will be conducted at various temperature, pH, and dye concentrations for common acid dyes (Acid red 88, Acid green 3 and Acid orange 7) to determine the optimum conditions and adsorption kinetics. The results from the batch experiments will be used to design a continuous adsorption column, as actual implementation of the system in the field would have to be continuous. Column experiments would yield optimized column dimensions, algae loading, operation and cleaning cycles and overall performance of the column. These results will be used to develop a techno-economic process model to perform material and energy balances, and to estimate the total energy use, capital and operating costs associated with the process on commercial scale. Various scale up scenarios will be investigated to assess the potential benefits and to estimate and energy and cost savings compared to alternative methods.

Expected Results:

Batch experiments will provide the data needed to determine the optimum dye sorption characteristics of the macroalgae. The amount of dye removed from the water during continuous operation (in algae packed column) will be monitored in real time using spectrophotometric techniques. The expected results for the success of this continuous column are quick dye adsorption on to algae in large quantities, at least 10-fold less water and half the normal operating time required for desorbing the dye. The techno-economic analysis will estimate the capital and operational costs of using this process at commercial scale and will evaluate the energy use in the process, which defines the long term sustainability of the process. Implementing this low cost technology in developing countries can positively impact people by reducing the water pollution, improve their prosperity by generating additional jobs for macroalgae production and reducing the cost of operation for the textile industries and impact the planet by reducing the environmental impact of textile industries which have significant water and energy footprint.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Biosorption, water conservation, algae, bioremediation, textile industry effluents, dyes;

Progress and Final Reports:

Final Report