UV and Visible Light Induced Photodegradation of Reactive Red 198 Dye and Textile Factory Wastewater on Fe2O3/Bentonite/TiO2 Nanocomposite

In the present study, the objective was to probe the capacity of the Fe2O3/Bentonite/TiO2 (Fe2O3/B/TiO2) nanoparticles to act as a catalyst in degrading the reactive red 198 (RR198) dye and textile factory wastewater, utilizing irradiation with visible and UV light. The efficiency of this degradation was studied for a variety of experimental parameters by employing real samples of textile wastewater. After 60 min of reaction time, complete degradation of the target pollutant was visible using the synthesized catalyst, i.e., Fe2O3/B/TiO2, under UV light; the same effect was noted after 90 min under visible light. Further, the ease of separation and quick collection of the synthesized Fe2O3/B/TiO2 can result in keeping the photocatalytic efficiency high, as well as raising the reusability. The photocatalytic processes under UV and visible light were found capable of converting the non-biodegradable textile wastewater into biodegradable one. Besides, with the introduction of Daphnia manga, the toxicity of the effluent was examined. Through photocatalysis, utilizing both techniques, the dye toxicity in the solution was fully neutralized, and the intensity of toxicity of the textile effluent was lowered by around 70%. The conclusion drawn in this study showed that the synthesized catalyst displayed good efficiency in removing organic compounds from the textile effluents by both photocatalytic processes using UV and visible light.

Automated summary

This study investigates the degrading capacity of Fe2O3/Bentonite/TiO2 nanoparticles as catalysts for Reactive Red 198 dye and textile factory wastewater under visible and UV light. The synthesized catalyst shows excellent efficiency in complete degradation of the target pollutant within 60 minutes under UV light, and 90 minutes under visible light. Additionally, the catalyst is easy to separate and collect, maintaining high photocatalytic efficiency and reusability.