Microplastics pollution in the environment is closely determined by the surrounding industrial and human activities. In present study, we investigated microplastics in water and sediment samples collected from a textile industrial area in Shaoxing city, China. The abundance of microplastics varied from 2.1 to 71.0 items/L in surface water samples, and from 16.7 to 1323.3 items/kg (dw) in sediment samples. The polymer type was dominated by polyester both in water (95%) and sediment (79%) samples. The majority of the detected microplastics was predominantly colored fibers smaller than 1 mm in diameter. The high level of microplastic pollution detected in local freshwater and sediment environments was attributed to the production and trading activities of textile industries, for which severe regulations should be envisaged in the future to effectively reduce the local microplastic pollution.

Air samples were collected at different sites in and around two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in central Italy to determine the concentrations, compositional profiles and contribution to ambient levels of eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The investigated WWTPs were selected as they treat industrial wastewater produced by local textile industries along with municipal wastewater. PBDE concentrations within the WWTPs were higher than those measured at reference sites located 4 and 5km away with BDE-209 dominating the BDE congener composition in all air samples in 2008. Ambient PBDE concentrations measured in and around the WWTPs and estimates of emissions from aeration tanks suggest that WWTPs are sources of PBDEs to ambient air. Principal component analysis and Pearson correlations confirmed this result. The effect of distance from the plant and wind direction on atmospheric concentrations was also investigated. Although the primary fate of PBDEs in WWTPs will be partitioning to sewage sludge, this study suggests that plants can provide a measurable source of these compounds to local ambient air.

Effective immobilization of industrial waste into biochar development could be one of the most promising technologies for solid waste management to achieve circular economy. In this study, post-industrial cotton textile waste (PICTW), a cellulose rich industrial waste, was subjected to slow pyrolysis to develop a surface engineered biochar through phosphoric acid impregnation. Biochar produced at 500 °C designated as PICTWB500 showed a maximum methylene blue number (240 mg g⁻¹) with remarkable specific surface area of 1498 m² g⁻¹. FESEM, FTIR, XRD and Raman spectra analysis were performed to investigate the surface texture and functionalities developed in the biochar. Adsorption efficiency of the biochar was assessed using drimarene red, blue, violet, and black dyes as model dye pollutants in batch mode at different biochar dose, pH and contact time. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was obtained in the range 285–325 mg g⁻¹ for different dyes, determined from Langmuir adsorption model. The kinetic behaviour was more favourable with the pseudo second-order model. The recycling ability of PICTWB500 was proven to be effective up to 6th cycle without compromising its adsorption efficiency significantly. This study demonstrated an excellent adsorption capability of the biochar in dye laden real textile effluent and recycling of spent biochar as a precursor of bio compost. Hence, this study established a dual win strategy for waste utilization in textile industry using a closed loop approach with substantial techno-economic feasibility that may have potential applications.

In the present work, low-cost and efficient iron oxide nanoparticle incorporated on mesoporous biochar was prepared from effluent treatment plant (ETP) sludge collected from the textile industry. This sludge contains a higher amount of Fe due to the use of ferric chloride as a coagulant in the treatment of wastewater generated during the process. The raw sludge and prepared biochar was extensively examined by various sophisticated techniques like XRF, XRD, BET, TGA, XPS, RAMAN, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, and VSM. TEM and XRD analysis confirms the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles on mesoporous biochar. The prepared biochar was found to possess BET surface area of 91 m² g⁻¹. Several parameters like pH, dose, initial concentration, temperature and time were optimized for the adsorptive removal of ofloxacin (OFL) from aqueous solution. Biochar (named as BTSFe) achieved ≈96% removal efficiency of OFL with a maximum adsorption capacity (qₘ) of 19.74 mg g⁻¹ at optimum condition. π-π electron–donor-acceptor and H bonding were the major mechanisms responsible for the OFL adsorption. Kinetic and equilibrium thermodynamic study of showed that the adsorption of OFL was represented by the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, and the process was exothermic and spontaneous. Additionally, Redlich-Peterson and Freundlich isotherms best fitted the experimental data indicating multilayer adsorption phenomenon. Biochar was magnetically separated and thermally regenerated after each cycle for five times with a nominal overall decrease of ≈8% in removal efficiency. Leaching of iron during the adsorption process was also checked and found to be within the permissible limit. This study provides an alternative application of the textile industry sludge as an efficient, low-cost biochar for the removal of emerging pharmaceutical compounds.

The solid waste of ductile iron industry, which contains at least 88.0% magnesium oxide, is one of the toxic materials, leading to land contamination. On the other hand, the removal of reactive dyes from wastewaters is difficult required effective adsorbent like nano-porous MgO. The novelty of present investigation is based on nano-porous magnesium oxide production by precipitation from the solid waste to treat the wastewaters contaminated by reactive dye which is abundantly used in the textile industry. In order to improve the adsorptive properties of extracted MgO powder, the combinations of surfactants, containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether (TX100) were applied based on the mixture design algorithm in the precipitation. The effects of processing factors such as surfactant composition, powder calcination temperature, surfactant dose and pH were evaluated on the removal efficiency. The results revolved that the combination of SDS and TX100, 1:1, plays an effective role in the production of particles with the appropriate average pore size, 16 nm. The adsorbent prepared in the optimum condition indicated a significant affinity for the removal of reactive dye which shows relatively pH-independent efficiency in the range of 3–9. The applied producer for fabrication of adsorbent eventually overcomes the pH-dependent problem for the toxic dye uptake, leading to produce the adsorbent with maximal adsorption capacity of 1000 mg g−1.

Growth of textile industries led to production of enormous dye varieties. These textile dyes are largely used, chemically stable and easy to synthesize. But they are recalcitrant and persist as less biodegradable pollutants when discharged into waterbodies. Potential use of enzyme-linked bioremediation of textile dyes will control their toxicity in waterbodies. Bioinformatics and Molecular docking tool provides an insight into remediation mechanism by predicting susceptibility of dye degradation using oxidoreductive enzymes. In this study, six dyes, Reactive Red F3B, Remazol Red RGB, Joyfix Red RB, Joyfix Yellow MR, Remazol Blue RGB and Turquoise CL-5B of azo, anthraquinone and phthalocyanine molecular class were identified as potential targets for degradation by laccase and azoreductase of Aeromonas hydrophila in addition to Lysinibacillus sphaericus through in silico docking tool BioSolveIT-FlexX. Azoreductase breaks azo bonds by ping-pong mechanism whereas laccase decolorizes dyes by free radical mechanism which is not specific in nature. Results were analyzed based on parameters like stability, catalytic action and selectivity for enzyme-dye interactions. Amino acids of enzymes interacted with several dyes substantiating variations in active site for enzyme-ligand binding affinity. This suggests the role of enzymes in decolorizing an extensive variety of textile dyes, thereby, aiding in understanding the enzyme mechanisms in Bioremediation.

The real-time textile dyes wastewater contains hazardous and recalcitrant chemicals that are difficult to degrade by conventional methods. Such pollutants, when released without proper treatment into the environment, impact water quality and usage. Hence, the textile dye effluent is considered a severe environmental pollutant. It contains mixed contaminants like dyes, sodium bicarbonate, acetic acid. The physico-chemical treatment of these wastewaters produces a large amount of sludge and costly. Acceptance of technology by the industry mandates that it should be efficient, cost-effective and the treated water is safe for reuse. A sequential anaerobic-aerobic plant-microbe system with acclimatized microorganisms and vetiver plants, was evaluated at a pilot-scale on-site. At the end of the sequential process, decolorization and total aromatic amine (TAA) removal were 78.8% and 69.2% respectively. Analysis of the treated water at various stages using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)) Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) indicated that the dyes were decolourized and the aromatic amine intermediates formed were degraded to give aliphatic compounds. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis showed interaction of microbe with the roots of vetiver plants. Toxicity analysis with zebrafish indicated the removal of toxins and teratogens.

The influence of common textile finishes on cotton fabrics on the generation of microfibers during laundering was assessed. Microfiber release was determined to be in the range of 9000–14,000 particles per gram of cotton fabric. Cotton knitted fabrics treated with softener and durable press generate more microfibers (1.30–1.63 mg/g fabric) during laundering by mass and number than untreated fabric (0.73 mg/g fabric). The fabrics treated with softener generated the longest average microfiber length (0.86 mm), whereas durable press and water repellent treatments produced the shortest average microfiber length (0.62 and 0.63 mm, respectively). In general, the changes in the mechanical properties of the fibers and fabrics due to the finishing treatments are the main factor affecting the microfiber release. The abrasion resistance of the fabrics decreases for durable press treatments and water repellent treatments due to the brittleness in the structure originated by the crosslinking treatment. In the case of the softener treatment, the fabric surface is soft and smooth decreasing the friction coefficient between fibers favoring the fibers loosening from the textile and resulting in a high tendency for fuzz formation and microfiber release. These findings are useful for the textile industry in the design and selection of materials and treatments for the reduction of synthetic or natural microfiber shedding from textiles.

The textile mill industry is one of the major sources of pollution and contributors of metal contaminants to the environment. At the same time, the industry is important for global economy. Pollution caused by the textile industry is characteristic due to a unique set of potentially toxic substances. Darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), which live in all biogeographical regions, are especially common in soil quality and soil degradation studies. Our study was designed to assess long-term effects of textile industry (which generates specific pollution) on soil organisms, namely Trachyderma hispida. We especially wanted to find out what changes allow the species to survive and adapt to these specific conditions. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of soil and midgut tissues of T. hispida sampled from a polluted site in the Edku textile industrial area in Egypt revealed a high accumulation of chemical elements, compared to a reference site. The concentration of elements in soil was well correlated with their concentration in the midgut of insects. Activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were negatively correlated with concentration of elements in soil and in the midgut. Meanwhile, malondialdehyde concentration in the midgut revealed an opposite tendency. DNA damage and expression of stress proteins, (HSP70 and metallothionein - MT) were elevated in insects from the polluted site. The activity of textile industry in the area of Edku undoubtedly causes an increase of soil pollution and, in consequence, causes a number of changes in the bodies of organisms living in these areas, including T. hispidus. Therefore, it is necessary to find a solution which limits the emission of waste from the textile industry, as well as to design modern strategies of processing, storing and utilizing it.

A novel self-assembly method was developed to prepare a γ-Fe₂O₃/graphene oxide (GO) heterogeneous catalyst that showed excellent synergy between photocatalysis and Fenton-like reactions. The γ-Fe₂O₃/GO catalyst prepared on the iron plates demonstrated efficient and reproducible catalytic activities for water treatment. It takes only 80 min to degrade 50 mg L⁻¹ methylene (MB) completely, which is the main non-biodegradable dye in wastewater from the textile industry. The heterogeneous catalyst is stable over a wide range of pH (from 2.0 to 10.2) for MB degradation, and can be easily extracted from solution and repeatedly used with little loss of catalytic activity. The high activity and stability of the catalyst system can be attributed to charge separation between γ-Fe₂O₃ and GO, which could accelerate Fenton-like process and photocatalysis. In addition, the dominant reactive oxidant species responsible for the MB degradation, including the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and holes (h⁺), were trapped on the surface of the γ-Fe₂O₃/GO composite, as proved by a free-radical quenching experiment. The γ-Fe₂O₃/GO heterogeneous catalyst could potentially provide a solution for removal of non-biodegradable dyes from wastewater in the textile industry.