Innovation pathway relevant to Effluents from dye and textile industries are highly contaminated and toxic to the environment. High concentrations of non-biodegradable compounds contribute to increases in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater bodies.
The widely used physical and chemical methods have their limitations with respect to efficiency, costs and use of raw materials or harmful chemicals involved for treatment.
One of the sustainable, cost-effective ways is microbes such as bacteria, algae and fungi to absorb toxic materials without leaving any residues in the discharged water.
Use of microbes significantly reduces the cost involved, while also helping in resource recovery. It also minimizes pollution related challenges associated with conventional techniques.
Microbes are added to reactors where the dye containing textile wastewater is taken. Processing conditions stimulate the degradative capabilities of microbes which degrade the harmful dyes present in the water. The microbes can safely be recovered and clean water can be discharged into the soil or used for agriculture applications.
The challenge lies in optimizing the technology involved in microbial degradation of textile wastewater such as use of single strain or consortium. Innovations in identifying microbes with high degradability rate can enhance its adoption at scale.
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Knowledge resources UpdatesResearchers from National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new way to treat sewage that is simpler, cheaper and greener than existing methods
LinkJSP Enviro, a city-based startup, is in talks with a garment dyeing unit in Tirupur to set up a prototype microbial fuel cell technology waste water treatment plant that would generate power
LinkBiotechnology proposes solutions that bring us one step closer to a true circular economy
LinkThe power generated in degradation can be used to sustain the process
LinkThere is a need to create cost-effective, safe, and environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment systems to recover the large quantities of wastewater produced by numerous industries
LinkNanotechnology has proved to be an efficient and less expensive tool for industrial water treatment
LinkThe technology they have developed eliminates the need for toxic chemicals. It also uses up to 90% less water and up to 40% less energy than the conventional dyeing process
LinkNeed to raise awareness on water stewardship, existing incentives and policies that aim to address the issue of water conservation in the textile industry, adapting sustainable business practices and collaboration between the industry and government
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