Innovative sustainable solutions for detoxifying textile industry effluents using advanced oxidation and biological...

Textile dye wastewater poses significant environmental and public health challenges, particularly in regions with inadequate treatment infrastructure, necessitating a comprehensive evaluation of detoxification technologies. Existing methods often focus on decolorization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction but fail to address persistent toxicity and incomplete mineralization, leaving harmful byproducts in treated effluents. This review critically consolidates advancements of past 15 years, emphasizing the integration of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) and biological technologies as solutions to these challenges. A key contribution is the introduction of the Net Toxicity Outcome (NTO) metric, a novel framework that quantifies and compares detoxification efficacy across diverse effluent compositions and toxicity endpoints, providing an evidence-based approach for selecting optimal treatment technologies. Analysis reveals that standalone treatments, such as UV-assisted ozonation, often exacerbate toxicity due to byproduct formation, whereas integrated approaches, including bio-photo-Fenton methods and anaerobic biofilm reactors coupled with ozonation, achieve superior detoxification. To bridge gaps in current practices, the review proposes a multi-level ecological assessment framework, enabling evaluations from molecular responses to ecosystem-level impacts. By aligning technological advancements with ecological safety and sustainability, the study offers actionable insights for researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, ensuring scalable solutions for cleaner textile production and sustainable wastewater management.