Colour and organic removal from textile wastewater using water treatment wastes

ABSTRACT

Chemical treatment with coagulants has been recognized as one of the most effective methods of colour removal from textile wastewater In this study, the aluminum hydroxide present in the settled sludge from water treatment clarifiers was recovered as alum using sulfuric acid wastes from other industrial activities. The recovered alum was used in the treatment of textile wastewater in both forms of solution and suspension with mud. Its efficiency was then compared with those of commercial alum and ferric chloride. The results revealed that in textile wastewater containing disperse, acidic, ionic, cationic and direct dyes, the recovered alum suspension had a removal efficiency higher than that of the recovered alum in solution while both had higher efficiencies in removing dyes and organic matter compared to common coagulants available in the market [p<0.05]