Natural sunlight-driven enhanced abatement of real resin industry wastewater using sludge-derived photocatalyst: Potential to generate carbon credits

The resin manufacturing industry is one of the industrial sectors that consumes huge quantities of water and generates enormous quantities of toxic wastewater with a high level of chemical oxygen demand (COD). In the present study, the performance of an optimized copped-doped raw galvanic waste-derived (CRGW) photocatalyst was evaluated in a novel stirred tank photoreactor in batch and continuous configurations as a possible solution for the treatment of real resin industry wastewater (RIW) under natural sunlight. Under optimal operating conditions, a COD removal rate of 70.3% and 43.5% was observed in batch and continuous configurations within 4 h, respectively. The photoreactor in continuous mode was aided by a magnetic bed that anchored the photocatalyst to the reaction segment without subsequent retrieval from the treated effluent. The mixture of pollutants in the RIW underwent photodegradation due to a pronounced bathochromic shift in UV absorption. Moreover, the XRD and XPS results confirmed the crystallinity and successful charge migration in the synthesized CRGW. The applicability of the photocatalyst for degradation of RIW was demonstrated through an economic analysis, and its specific cost was determined to be 9.5 USD/m3 of treated wastewater. Furthermore, this study aims to be a step toward generating carbon credits by avoiding the release of 18 tons of CO2/yr into the atmosphere by utilizing natural sunlight for photodegradation. The reduction, avoidance, or removal of greenhouse gases is pivotal in today’s world, and carbon credits can accelerate this transformational journey towards a sustainable future. [Display omitted] •Holistic approach towards degrading resin industry wastewater utilizing galvanic industry wastewater-based photocatalyst.•Integration of sludge-derived photocatalyst in batch and continuous configurations.•Potential to generate carbon credits by avoiding the release of 18 tons of CO2/yr.•Natural sunlight-driven photodegradation for environmental protection.