Treatment of textile effluent containing indigo blue dye by a UASB reactor coupled with pottery clay adsorption

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the treatment of a synthetic textile wastewater containing the blue indigo dye in a UASB (upflow anaerobic reactor), on a bench scale, followed by pottery clay adsorption. The system monitoring was verified by the following physical and chemical parameters: pH, alkalinity, volatile acids, COD and removal of color. The adsorption tests using pottery clay (construction debris) as an alternative adsorbent material were performed on a jar test equipment. The results showed satisfactory effectiveness in removing color and organic matter (COD) by the UASB, at the order of 69 and 81.2%, respectively. The color removal using ceramic clay as an alternative adsorbent material was 97% for the concentration of 200 g L-1 of adsorbent, evidencing that the use of pottery clay as adsorbent material had significant and promising results, and may be used as a post-treatment unit for removal of dyes present in textile effluents, and since construction debris currently represents a major environmental problem, its use in wastewater treatment may become an alternative to a proper destination of this waste.