Harnessing graphene oxide-enhanced composite metal-organic frameworks for efficient wastewater treatment

Abstract

The issue of carwash wastewater emerges as a pressing environmental concern on a global scale, primarily due to the intricate nature of its pollutants, which makes effective treatment a formidable challenge. In the face of this complex scenario, the pursuit of an efficient treatment methodology assumes paramount importance. In response to this complex scenario, this study embarked on an exploration of a novel polymeric adsorbent material synthesized from Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67, Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8, Polyethersulfone, and graphene oxide in a fixed-bed treatment system for carwash wastewater. The investigation encompassed three distinct filter column depths, measuring 8 cm, 12 cm, and 16 cm, respectively. With an increase in filter depth from 8 cm to 16 cm, notable improvements were observed in the removal efficiencies for most contaminants. Notably, oils/grease removal showed an increasing trend with column depth, reaching 95.4%, 98.6%, and 100% for 8 cm, 12 cm, and 16 cm depths, respectively. TSS and Turbidity removal efficiencies remained consistently high at 100% across all depths, showcasing effective removal of solid particulate matter. Copper and Zinc removal efficiencies increased with deeper column depths, reaching values of 80.4%–89.9% and 79.6%–90.3%, respectively. Surfactants exhibited efficient removal, with values ranging from 90.6% to 96.6%. Total Dissolved Solids removal efficiency increased from 71.6% to 83.4% as column depth increased. Similarly, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, total organic carbon, and phosphates removal efficiencies showed improvement with increasing column depth, reaching values of 95.4%, 98.3%, 98.8%, and 89.3%, respectively. Moreover, The composite MOF beads demonstrated significant adsorption capacities in carwash wastewater treatment, with a noteworthy 35.08 mg/g for Oils/Grease and 28.12 mg/g for Biochemical Oxygen Demand, highlighting their efficiency in removing hydrophobic contaminants and organic pollutants.The derived results highlight the potential of the composite material for carwash wastewater treatment towards advancing the field of wastewater treatment.