The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has developed an innovative technology designed to revolutionize wastewater treatment in the textile industry. The breakthrough aims to reduce treatment costs, enhance sustainability, and minimize environmental impact.
Addressing a Major Environmental Challenge
Textile factories often generate large volumes of wastewater contaminated with dyes and chemicals. This wastewater poses serious threats to ecosystems and public health. To mitigate this, industries are mandated to adopt Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems, which help recover and reuse water and salts. However, conventional ZLD systems are energy-intensive and expensive to operate.
ECOOP: A Smarter, Cleaner Alternative
IIT Madras has responded with a more efficient solution – the Electrochemical Ozone Oxidation Process (ECOOP). Tested at a pilot plant in the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Tirupur, this new technology has shown remarkable performance.
The ECOOP system achieved a 96% reduction in colour and 60% reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) – a key indicator of water pollution, in wastewater from dye baths. Beginning with lab-scale trials, the technology has now scaled up to handle 400 litres of wastewater per day.
Cutting Costs and Boosting Sustainability
One of ECOOP’s standout benefits is its elimination of chlorine use, which significantly reduces the risk of forming harmful disinfection byproducts. Additionally, the system effectively removes the colour at an early stage. This eases the burden on downstream treatment units, lowering operational costs and energy consumption.
Paving the Way for Greener Industry Practices
With ECOOP, IIT Madras is offering a cleaner, cost-effective, and scalable solution for one of the textile industry’s biggest environmental challenges. As reported by neosciencehub.com, the institute hopes that widespread adoption of this technology will promote more sustainable industrial practices. It also aims to set a new benchmark in eco-friendly wastewater treatment.
