What is it about?
Many industries, like textiles and cosmetics, release a common but toxic dye called Rhodamine 6G (R6G) into wastewater, which poses a risk to the environment and public health. This research explores an electrical treatment process called electrocoagulation (EC) to clean this contaminated water. We tested how different factors like voltage, pH, and the addition of chemicals like Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) could improve the dye removal process, aiming to find the most effective and efficient combination.
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Why is it important?
Rhodamine 6G dye pollution is a serious global problem because the chemical is persistent in waterways, harmful to aquatic life, and potentially carcinogenic. While traditional wastewater treatments exist, they can be inefficient, costly, or not environmentally friendly. Our work shows that an enhanced electrocoagulation process can remove virtually 100% of the dye's color from water in a relatively short time. This method is promising because it is simpler, more cost-effective, and produces less sludge than conventional techniques. The findings provide a blueprint for developing more sustainable and efficient water treatment strategies, helping industries protect our vital water resources from dye pollution.
Perspectives
When you see the vibrant color of a dye like Rhodamine 6G, you see its use in textiles and other products, but as chemical engineers, we also see the environmental challenge it represents once it enters our water systems. We were motivated to find a better, cleaner way to tackle this problem. Electrocoagulation has always been a promising technology, but we wanted to push its performance even further. The most exciting moment was when we introduced Hydrogen Peroxide and Potassium Hydroxide into the system and saw the synergistic effect firsthand. Watching the bright orange water turn almost completely clear in about 30 minutes was a powerful visual confirmation of our success. Our hope is that this research provides a practical and efficient pathway for industries to adopt, helping to safeguard the environment from hazardous pollution.
Mr. Niteshkumar Shantilal Chauhan
Parul University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Optimization of process parameters during treatment of rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution by electrocoagulation, January 2025, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0290526.
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