Abstract
The excessive use of azo dyes results in their discharge with the industrial wastewater effluents. Recent studies show that conventional wastewater treatment processes cannot remove these pollutants that are known to be toxic both to aquatic life and humans. Hence, the elimination of such pollution has lately been a primary environmental concern, and a variety of methods comprising of biological and chemical processes have been tested. Advanced oxidation processes are a promising option to remove these compounds completely while reducing their toxicity via mineralization. The aim of this study is to test several advanced oxidation processes for the decolorization of Remazol Brillant Blue R. Studied advanced oxidation processes are sonication, Fenton reaction, ozonation (O3), ozonation and UV irradiation (O3/UV) and a hybrid process of ozonation UV irradiation and hydrogen peroxide (O3/UV/ H2O2). The efficiencies of the processes are determined by decolorization and mineralization and found to be in the decreasing order of O3/UV/H2O2 > Fenton > O3/UV > Ultrasound > Ozone.