Assessment of simultaneous removal of salt and dye by utilizing capacitive deionization and UV-electro oxidation hybrid process in saline wastewater treatment

In this research, the goal was simultaneous elimination of salt (NaCl) and dye (C·I Acid Orange 7 or AO7) through integration of capacitive deionization (CDI) technique with UV-based electrochemical advanced oxidation process (UV-EAOP). To optimize salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of MnO₂ electrode, Taguchi's experimental design methodology was employed to fine-tune synthesis parameters, including bath temperature, current density, and precursor concentrations. BiOCl was synthesized and implemented as an anode to bolster AOP's effectiveness. Several experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of applying the combined AOP and CDI. The findings revealed that parameter optimization improved SAC, and the application of UV irradiation decreased electrode's SAC. Furthermore, it was observed that AO7 could enhance SAC while lowering salt adsorption rate (SAR). More importantly, the combined application of CDI and AOP resulted in superior pollutant removal efficiency and improved SAC, despite reduced SAR. Finally, color was entirely eliminated after 90 min, and the generated species were recognized by GC–MS. Additionally, a possible pathway for AO7 degradation was suggested based on the generated species.