Nano-Photocatalysts in the Treatment of Colored Wastewater - A Review
In the present scenario, the problem of water pollution is remarkable. The need to maintain clean water for both flora and fauna has become a major, even a critical concern. A large number of organic substances are introduced into the natural water system from various sources such as industrial effluents, agricultural runoff and chemical spills. Textiles industries specifically pollute the water sources due to the random use and discharge of various types of dyes. It may significantly affect photosynthetic activity in aquatic life and their presence in drinking water constitutes a potential human health hazard. It is therefore essential either to remove the dyes from water or to treat them in such a way so as to minimize their effects on the environment and also to decolorize the water. Various research works on different processes are reviewed and discussed in the present article. It has been observed that the advanced oxidation processes are used widely to degrade the organic compounds in water. Photocatalytic systems are effective for the degradation of many unwanted complex organic compounds through the use of efficient nanophotocatalysts activated under ultra-violet (UV) irradiation.