The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at North South University has spearheaded an innovative project unveiling an affordable and sustainable technology for treating textile wastewater. Their breakthrough research showcases the effective use of locally accessible bleach and blast furnace iron slag in tertiary treatment, yielding treated water that aligns with Environmental Conservation Rules 2023 standards. This treated water proves ideal for reuse in the textile industry’s wet processing, highlighting a significant stride towards sustainable water management.
This innovative approach holds immense promise, particularly for economies like Bangladesh, where 84% of foreign earnings are derived from the textile and readymade garment industry. By using materials within the local supply chain, this method eliminates dependency on imported chemicals and energy, offering a sustainable solution for resource-trapped economies. By repurposing the treated water, the industry reduces the reliance on groundwater extraction a precious resource that is depleting. The pilot implementation of this approach took place within Sanjana Fabrics.
This research concept received the Best Paper Award at two international conferences. The first was the 2nd International Symposium on One Health, One World, jointly organized by the One Health One World Research Initiative, the University of Tokyo in Japan, and the University of Dhaka. The second accolade came from the 4th International Conference – Strategies toward Green Deal Implementation – Water, Raw Materials & Energy. This conference was organized by The Division of Biogenic Raw Materials at the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Republic of Poland, the National Centre for Research and Development, and Polish Waterworks, The Chamber of Commerce.
The whole experiment was conducted by Md. Sahil Rafiq and Mohammad Shakhawat Hosen Apurba, recent graduate students of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering North South University and was supervised by Dr. Nadim Reza Khandaker, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering North South University.
