Azo Dyes Degradation Approaches and Challenges: An Overview

Dyes play a very important role in our daily lives. The dye industries started manufacturingdyes with natural sources and then turned towards synthetic ones. Among these dyes, about60% of the total dyes are azo dyes which are used in industries. They are mostly used as textiledyes because they are easy to synthesize, chemically stable and diverse in nature. Azo dyescome in about 3000 different variations and are employed in a variety of industries, includingthe textile, leather, paper, and pharmaceutical sectors. But sadly, the majority of azo dyes arepoisonous and mutagenic to all living things. The effluent coming from the textile sector musttherefore be removed and treated. The wastewater is often treated using a variety of physicaland chemical methods, however, these methods have been shown to be inefficient, expensive,produce insufficient amounts of sludge, and have limited effectiveness. So, in order to treatand decolorize dyes and dye-containing effluents without further harming the environment orendangering life forms, It has practically universal dye degradability is economical and hasalso eliminated a number of drawbacks of the physicochemical method. The properties andclassification of azo dyes, associated problems, biodegradation techniques, and possibilitiesare only a few of the subjects covered in this chapter’s examination of recent research,advancements, and the body of existing information on them. Biological processes havereceived special attention as a remedy for the current problems with azo dyes.