Investigation on the photocatalytic reduction of Cr vi and bisphenol a using tannery sludge derived bochar metal oxide nanocatalysts

Abstract

Rising population, fast industrialization and changing consumption pattern has increased global water demand. Meanwhile, water pollution has turned out as a significant environmental concern. The effluents generated from various industries are being discharged into the water bodies. In addition to effluents, large quantities of sludge are generated during various treatment units, which does not have any process value. Hence, there is an alarming need to treat industrial effluents and reuse sludge into useful materials. This research focusses on developing an environmentally sustainable material from tannery sludge for the removal of Cr(VI) and BPA. Conventional treatment methods required high energy, high operating costs, produce toxic byproducts and lack the scope of efficiency in treating effluents. Hence, Advanced Oxidation Process (AOPs) serves as a promising method to oxidize pollutants, especially non-biodegradable contaminants. Among AOPs, photocatalytic degradation has an advantage such as green, cost-effective, economically viable and no secondary pollutant generation. Hence, this research was carried out on the aim dealing waste with waste , here tannery sludge was taken as a precursor to prepare biochar material and further modified with semiconductor nanomaterial for the reduction of Cr(VI) and BPA using photocatalytic treatment. Biochar derived from domestic and industrial sludge has gained much attention among global researchers owing to its well-developed mesoporous structure, high surface area and abundant functional group to enhance the adsorption of pollutants. In addition, biochar-based materials are non-toxic and environmentally sustainable. newline