Using protein nanofibrils to remove azo dyes from aqueous solution by the coagulation process.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Industrial azo dyes pose significant environmental challenges due to widespread application.
• Effective remediation strategies for azo dye-contaminated water are urgently needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate proteinaceous nanofibrils as coagulants for azo dye decolorization.
• To investigate the mechanism and efficiency of dye removal by nanofibrils.

Main Methods:

• Tested nanofibrils for decolorizing five types of azo dyes (Acid Red 88, Bismarck Brown R, Direct Violet 51, Reactive Black 5, Congo Red).
• Assessed the impact of temperature, ionic strength, and pH on dye removal efficiency and coagulation time.
• Compared nanofibril performance with charcoal for azo dye remediation.

Main Results:

• Proteinaceous nanofibrils demonstrated variable but high dye removal efficiency (60-98%), dependent on dye structure and solution conditions.
• Increased temperature and ionic strength accelerated dye removal.
• Nanofibrils outperformed charcoal in dye removal efficiency and showed no detected cytotoxicity in treated solutions.

Conclusions:

• Proteinaceous nanofibrils are effective and safe coagulants for treating azo dye wastewater.
• Their ease of production, dispersion, and lack of harmful by-products make them advantageous.
• This approach integrates biological and physicochemical processes for sustainable wastewater treatment.