Unleashing the potential of electrooxidation and PVDF/TiO₂ photocatalysis for textile dye wastewater treatment

In recent years, the fast progress of industrialization and globalization has led to a notable rise in the release of textile dye wastewater into the environment. Therefore, it is urgent to explore alternative methods for effectively treating this type of wastewater. Electrooxidation and photocatalysis are promising methods for addressing this issue. In this study, we employed electrooxidation with a pair of Pt-coated Ti electrodes as a pre-process. Subsequently, a PVDF/TiO₂ membrane was fabricated as a photocatalyst for the final treatment step. To determine the efficiency of this sequential process, we evaluated its performance in terms of color, COD, and UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) removal. Various parameters were also investigated, including, reaction time, current density, initial pH, electrolysis time, the amount of TiO₂, irradiation time, and composite concentration. Furthermore, this study employed experimental designs and optimization through the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) within the framework of the response surface methodology. The operating parameters and the reduction of organic pollutants were assigned as independent variables and responses, respectively. Under optimal conditions of sequential treatments, COD, color, and UV254 were removed by 82.7, 100, and 80.3%, respectively. Besides, the quadratic regression and ANOVA results were statistically significant in the BBD models, indicating a positive outcome for the treatment process employed in this work. Technical analysis was conducted to evaluate the energy consumption of the sequential system, while the PVDF/TiO₂ composite was analysed using UV–Vis spectroscopy. This study introduces an innovative industrial wastewater treatment approach with potential benefits for environmental science and management.