Production of Waste Tomato Stem Hydrochar (TS-HC) in Subcritical Water Medium and Application in Real Textile Wastewater using Photocatalytic Treatment System

Dye-containing wastewater emerges in many fields, especially in the textile industry. This type of wastewater has to be treated because of its negative effects on the environment. The treatment of wastewater containing dyes employs a variety of treatment techniques. However, it is important to use treatment systems that use nanoparticles of biomaterial origin. In this study, the use of photocatalytic treatment system with hydrochar obtained from tomato stems (TS-HC) in the purification of Methylene Blue (MB) and Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dyes was investigated. For the optimization of the photocatalytic treatment system, light source, pH, TS-HC amount and initial dye concentration were tested. Furthermore, TS-HC reuse tests were carried out at the found optimal conditions and it was determined that both dyes had 10 reuse cycles. Optimum conditions for MB dye was obtained by adding 1 g/L catalyst into the solution with a pH value of 8 and an initial concentration of 15 mg/L, and 100% dye removal efficiency under UVA light. 97.4% dye removal efficiency was obtained by adding 2 g/L catalyst to the wastewater (pH 2) containing 15 mg/L RBBR dye under UVA light. Characterization analyzes with SEM, EDX and XRD of hydrochar obtained from waste tomato stem were performed. As a result of the photocatalytic experiments, TS-HC catalyst was used in the decolorization of real wastewater. It has been determined that the catalyst can decolorize the dye-containing real wastewater up to the lower limit of the appropriate value (260 Pt–Co) of the Turkish Water Pollution Control Regulation.