Development of an efficient remediation system with a low cost after identification of water pollutants including phenolic compounds in a tannery built-up area in Bangladesh

Water pollution caused by tannery wastewater is an important issue in developing countries. Most studies have focused on inorganic chemicals represented by chromium as a tannery-related main pollutant. This is the first study in which pollution of water by tannery-related organic chemicals was assessed by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Our quantitative analysis showed that the maximum concentration of total phenolic compounds (phenols), consisting of phenol, bisphenol F, p-cresol and chlorocresol, in canal water in a tannery built-up area in Bangladesh was >67-fold higher than the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) guideline value. Mapping of our results indicated tanneries as the sources of phenols pollution. Our original depurative, a hydrotalcite-like compound consisting of magnesium and iron (MF-HT), could adsorb all kinds of phenols and exhibited the highest phenol adsorption ability (115.8 mg/g) among reported hydrotalcite-like compounds. The levels of phenols in canal water samples were reduced to levels below the guideline value by using MF-HT with assistance of a photocatalytic reaction. Moreover, the mean level of chromium (112.2 mg/L) in canal water samples was decreased by 99.7% by using the depurative. Thus, the depurative has the potential for solving the problem of tannery-related water pollution by phenols and chromium.