20 - Nanocomposites for the treatment of textile effluents

Abstract

In the growing global economy, the textile industry plays a substantial role in economic growth as well as being the leading pollution-triggering sector. The contaminants in textile industry effluent comprise organic, noxious, surfactants, dyes, heavy metals, and several other compounds. Dyes and heavy metals are the major categories of contaminants in the textile effluents. Dyes are the key organic pollutants found in textile effluents. The textile industry generates a demand for the production of 1.3 million tons of dyes and pigments. Their ability to endure in the environment for a prolonged period of time owing to their high stability (photo as well as thermal) makes them even resilient to biodegradation. Dyes have the capability of absorbing and reflecting sunlight in water, thereby affecting the photosynthetic progression of algae and other biotic components, and hence seriously influencing the food web. Generally, dyes and their breakdown products are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and noxious to life. Further, other major contaminants in textile effluents can be recognized as the inorganic metals and their complexes in either dissolved form or in other forms. Cadmium, arsenic, zinc, lead, chromium, etc. are recognized worldwide as the most noxious metals in wastewater all through the manufacturing procedures in textile industries. Currently, nanocomposites have appealed to researchers in water decontamination owing to their enhanced fabricability, surface area, stability, other potential properties, and being economical. Nanocomposites exhibit fast decontamination capability with extraordinary selectivity to eliminate several contaminants. This chapter conveys up-to-date information about the significance of nanocomposites in the elimination of heavy metals and dyes from textile effluents, including the overall approach for the synthesis of nanocomposites. Accordingly, the objective of this chapter is to convey the latest data on this study and the scope of advancement of nanocomposites in the field of wastewater remediation.