DEGRADATION OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY’S EFFLUENT USING INTEGRATED CHEMICAL-BIOLOGICAL PROCESS.

Interest in ecologically friendly, wet-processing textile techniques has increased in recent years because of increased awareness of environmental issues throughout the world. With more stringent controls and more demand in environmental friendly product expected in the future, it is essential that control measures be implemented to minimize effluent problems. The textile dyeing industry consumes large quantities of water and produces large volumes of wastewater from different steps in the dyeing and finishing processes. Wastewater from printing and dyeing units is often rich in color, containing residues of reactive dyes and chemicals, and requires proper treatment before being released into the environment. The goal of this research was to study the performance of the integrated chemical (coagulation-flocculation)-biological (activated sludge) process and to develop a potential textile industry’s wastewater treatment system for reuse. The results show that coagulation-flocculation process (optimum coagulant of 10 mg/l FeSO4) was effective enough in removing color while activated sludge process effective in removing other organic materials contain in the effluent. Integrated chemical-biological process to treat textile effluent was able to remove organic with an efficiency of 71 - 91 %. Re-use of this kind of wastewater than to discharge it after treatment are preferably due to increase in the costs of chemicals, energy and water consumption.