Green Technologies for Industrial Contaminants

Increasing population, environmental pollution, rampant industrialization, and scarcity of water are all major global threats. Significant amounts of pollutants are released from various industries such as textile, paper, leather, rubber, plastic, cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and petroleum industries. A lack of proper treatment facilities has proliferated the discharge of effluents enriched with toxic pollutants such as dyes, heavy metals, organic compounds, and other hazardous chemicals in the environment. Water is a natural treasure and availability of safe and clean water is essential for human health, ecosystems, and sustainable development. The continuous decline of the groundwater table and deterioration of water quality are matters of serious concern. The presence of color in water poses a serious threat to the environment, affecting light penetration and reducing photosynthesis and dissolved oxygen. Most dyes and heavy metals are toxic in nature, which may cause skin irritation, allergies, respiratory disease, mental disorders, tumors, and cancer. Different physical and chemical methods are available for the treatment of industrial effluents but due to their high cost, low efficiency, and sludge generation, these methods are not feasible at large scale.