Integration of chemical and biological treatments for textile industry wastewater: A possible zero-discharge system

Theoretical and experimental studies have established that integrated treatment systems (mostly chemical and biological) for various industrial wastewaters can achieve better quality of treatment and can be cost-effective. In the present study, the objective is to minimize the use of process water in the textile industry by an economical recycle and reuse scheme. The textile wastewater was first characterized in terms of COD, BOD5, salinity and color. In order to recycle such wastewater, the contaminants should be mineralized and/or removed according to the reusable textile water quality standards. Typical results show that this is achievable. An economic analysis has been conducted on the proposed integrated system. The economic analysis shows that the integrated system is economically more attractive than any of the single treatment technologies for achieving the same target of treatment. The information presented in this paper provides a feasible option for the reduction of effluent discharges in the textile industry.