In this study, polyamide (PA) thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration was used in edible oil wastewater emulsion treatment. The PA-TFC membrane was characterized using mechanical, thermal, chemical, and physical tests. Surface morphology and cross-sections of TFCs were characterized using SEM. The effects of edible oil concentrations, average droplets size, and contact angle on separation efficiency and flux were studied in detail. Purification performance was enhanced using activated carbon as a pre-treatment unit. The performance of the RO unit was assessed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and permeate flux. Oil concentration in wastewater varied between 3000 mg/L and 6000 mg/L. Oily wastewater showed a higher contact angle (62.9°) than de-ionized water (33°). Experimental results showed that the presence of activated carbon increases the permeation COD removal from 94% to 99%. The RO membrane filtration coupled with an activated carbon unit of oily wastewater is a convenient hybrid technique for removal of high-concentration edible oil wastewater emulsion up to 99%. Using activated carbon as an adsorption pre-treatment unit improved the permeate flux from 34 L/m²hr to 75 L/m²hr.

The environmental impact of wastewater discharged from the textile dyeing industry has a significant challenge and influence on aquatic ecosystems and human health if not properly managed. This study aimed to develop a novel cross-linked chitosan composite, denoted as chitosan/fly ash/polyvinyl alcohol (Ch/FA/PVA), as a bio-adsorbent for removing Congo Red (CR) textile dye from industrial wastewater. The synthesis involved the incorporation of FA into the chitosan matrix at various ratios to optimize the process. A specifically tailored composite, Ch/FA_0.75/PVA, exhibited superior performance with a remarkable 99.7% CR removal under optimum conditions: adsorbent dose (0.9 g/l), contact time (50 min), and dye concentration (40 mg/l). The characterization of Ch/FA_0.75/PVA through SEM–EDX, BET, FTIR, and pH_zpc confirmed its suitability for adsorption. Employing Box–Behnken design and analysis of variance (ANOVA) facilitated the optimization of key adsorption variables. The Freundlich model described the adsorption equilibrium, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 263.15 mg/g for CR dye. The pseudo-second-order model demonstrated favorable kinetics. The study was scaled up to the practical application of Ch/FA_0.75/PVA in a pilot plant for industrial wastewater treatment, revealing substantial removal percentages for dye, color, COD, BOD₅ and TDS. This comprehensive approach highlights the promising efficacy of Ch/FA_0.75/PVA in addressing environmental concerns associated with textile dye wastewater.

The non-biodegradable Congo red (CR) dye which is widely used in textile industries has poses carcinogenic risks due to its complex reactions that may generate benzidine. Effective treatment of industrial effluent containing CR dye is imperative. This study assessed chitosan (Cs) and chitosan/fly ash (Cs/Fa) composites for biosorbing CR dye from synthetic textile wastewater. Fly ash varied in the range of (1:0.25–1:1) with chitosan to assess adsorption performance. Characterization techniques included FTIR, SEM, EDX, BET, and zeta potential analyses. Response surface methodology guided the determination of optimal variables. The study examined Cs and Cs/Fa dosage (A), time (B), and initial dye concentration (C) effects on CR removal. Incorporating fly ash substantially cut adsorption costs by 50% while enhancing dye removal up to 85% at pH 6. Improved acidic stability of chitosan (Cs/Fa 1:0.75) was notable. Chitosan (Cs) exhibited a high Congo red removal efficiency of 98% while the chitosan/fly ash (Cs/Fa) composites showed a substantial removal efficiency of 94%. Optimal conditions were 2 g L⁻¹ of adsorbents, initial CR concentration of 40 mg L⁻¹ for 120 min. Freundlich isotherm model best described adsorption behavior. Pseudo-second-order kinetics correlated significantly (R² = 0.999). This study showed the potential of Cs and Cs/Fa bio-composites for effective textile wastewater treatment.