Sustainable textile wastewater remediation using nano zerovalent aluminum for organic removal and pathogen inactivation

Abstract This study addresses the critical textile wastewater treatment gap by developing nano zerovalent aluminum (nZVAl) as a dual-functional solution for simultaneous organic degradation and pathogen inactivation. The nanoparticles were characterized, confirming the formation of nZVAl with an average diameter of 40 nm. Using regression analysis, the study assessed the influence of operational conditions, showing that nZVAl achieved up to 78% COD degradation and 68% color removal under optimal conditions: pH 8, a dosage of 0.6 g/L, a contact time of 60 min, and stirring at 150 rpm at room temperature. The RSM analysis revealed a strong correlation between predicted and experimental results, with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) of 0.974, underscoring the model’s reliability. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy of nZVAl was evaluated against common pathogenic bacterial strains found in textile effluents, including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for these bacteria were determined to be 1500, 2000, 2500, and 2500 µg/L, respectively, achieving a 99% reduction in total bacterial counts after 8 h of treatment. Economic analysis revealed a competitive operational cost of $9.84 ± 1.76/m 3 , 35% lower than Fenton systems, with scalability validated in real effluent treatment. The work’s novelty lies in its mechanistic integration of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and antibacterial action, compliance with regulatory standards (Egyptian Ministerial Decree No. 44/2000), and pilot-scale industrial cost model, offering a sustainable alternative for the global textile wastewater market.