Coagulation/flocculation process for dye removal using sludge from water treatment plant: Optimization through response surface methodology

In this study, performance of a waterworks sludge (FCS: ferric chloride sludge) for the removal of acid red 119 (AR119) dye from aqueous solutions were investigated. For this purpose, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize three operating variables of coagulation/flocculation process including initial pH, coagulant dosage and initial dye concentration. The results showed that the decrease of initial pH was always beneficial for enhancing dye removal and no re-stabilization phenomenon was occurred even at the used maximum FCS dosage. It seems that iron hydroxides of the FCS could neutralize the negative charges on dye molecules or cause to the trapping of the dye ones. Therefore, the sweep flocculation and/or the charge neutralization might play key roles in the enhancement of dye removal. The optimum initial pH, FCS dosage and initial dye concentration were found to be 3.5, 236.68 mg dried FCS/L and 65.91 mg/L, respectively. Dye removal of 96.53% is observed which confirms close to RSM results. Therefore, it can be concluded that reusing the FCS as a low-cost material into the coagulation/flocculation process in wastewater treatment plants can offer some advantages such as high efficiency for AR119 dye removal and economic savings on overall treatment plant operation costs.