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WATER PURIFICATION: ELIMINATING MALACHITE GREEN DYE
FROM WASTEWATER THROUGH TAGUCHI METHODS AND
PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
Ellis Rose, elr68@pitt.edu, Bursic, 2:00, Jarrett Mays, jvm14@pitt.edu, Mena, 6:00
Revised Proposal - Malachite green, a relatively
available and inexpensive dye currently used in fish
hatcheries as an antifungal preservative, is causing
great concern within the environmental sciences
community. Malachite green generates highly adverse
health effects on aquatic life and humans when
exposed to the dye including carcinogens and
lingering dye in fish muscles. The use of Malachite
green on aquatic species is not approved by both the
Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental
Protection Agency [1]. Despite the pronounced
regulations and available information regarding the
severe outcomes with the use of Malachite green, it is
still substantially in use at many fish hatcheries in the
United States. An important side effect of this use is
the disposal of hatchery wastewater resulting in
confirmed detections of extremely low levels of
Malachite green in the nation’s water supply.
The mission of combatting Malachite green
involves completely removing the dye in wastewater
through treatment plants keeping efficiency in mind,
both economically and in terms of waste. Once the
problem is introduced, testing for flaw in the
equipment commences. Each machine and step will be
subjected to the Taguchi methods, procedures of
optimization used by businesses to ensure beyond
satisfactory production and operations. The Taguchi
methods start with review of the existing plant’s
measurements, examining the exact blueprints. When
reviewing the measurements, engineers will look for
patterns with negative connotations like lost product,
waste, and unnecessary costs. In terms of the removal
of Malachite green from wastewater, we will research
the common patterns in water treatment plants dealing
with issues such as large energy consumption, costs of
production, leakage, and breakdowns involving
general wear and tear of machinery. Using the
patterns, engineers will create relationships and mark
them into categories of relevancy followed by a
system of process optimization [2]. In this paper, we
will target the main points of Taguchi’s method and
process optimization in relation with wastewater
purification with specific insight on contamination of
water by Malachite green.
The significance of this technology being
used is how universal the applications are. Taguchi’s
method is able to improve productivity, maximize
quality, and minimize cost of production very
effectively. In this instance, it is able to help a
government provide its people with the water they
need in their everyday life, while using the least
amount of taxpayer dollars as possible, and helping
reduce emissions. As an example of industrial
engineering increasing the effectiveness of a process,
Taguchi’s method of optimization applied to water
purification will be discussed.
REFERENCES
[1]S.Srivastava, R. Sinha, D. Roy (2003).
“Toxicological Effects of Malachite Green.” (scholar
review)
http://131.104.156.23/Lectures/4010/W05%20K%20
Preuss/17%20Perry%20Martos/CHEM%204010%20
March%2017%202005/Malachite%20green%20toxic
ology.pdf
This professional review, published by Aquatic
Toxicology - a collection of original scientific papers
with focus on toxins in aquatic environments,
highlights the adverse effects of Malachite green on
fish species and certain mammals. The review
discusses Malachite green’s notoriety within wellknown establishments like (US Food and Drug
Administration) due to carcinogenesis (cancercausing), mutagenesis, and respiratory effects induced
by the dye. Information in this article will be used to
justify the dangers of Malachite green and the
importance of its removal of its presence in
wastewater.
[2] P. Woolf (2008). “Experimental Design and
Taguchi’s
Method.”
University of
Michigan.
(Presentation).
https://controls.engin.umich.edu/wiki/images/0/0b/Le
cture.25.pdf
This presentation on experimental design was created
by Peter Woolf, an Assistant Professor in the Civil
Engineering Department at the University of
Michigan’s College of Engineering. Woolf outlines
designing factories through three methods Factorial
Design, Random Design, and the Taguchi Method. A
walkthrough of reviewing a factory’s existing plant
measurements, observing patterns, and creating more
efficient experimental designs to analyze negative
aspects of existing plant designs is presented. We will
use this presentation to further our knowledge on the
methods of experimental design and to show the
effectiveness that the Taguchi Method can bring to a
business/industry.
[3] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(2004).
“Malachite
Green
Chloride
and
Leucomalachite Green” U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service, National
Institutes of Health (technical report)
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/st_rpts/tox071.pd
f
This is a technical report source involving Malachite
Green Chloride and Leucomalachite Green
administered in feed to rats and mice by the National
Toxicology Program (NTP), made up of four charter
agencies under the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. The report overviews the chemical
makeup of Malachite green as well as its historical use
in fish hatcheries and the aquatic industry. The report
ventures into testing of Malachite green on mammals
like mice and rats and effects on organs and body
weight of the mammals tested. This technical report
will be useful in covering all grounds of Malachite
green including its historical and chemical
background, its disposal, and its effects on fish and
mammals.
[4] K. Ikehata O. Pui (2008) “Health Effects
Associated with Wastewater Treatment, Reuse, and
Disposal” Water Environment Federation (article)
http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com/deliver/connect/
wef/10614303/v80n10/s37.pdf?expires=1454111477
&id=85893565&titleid=11548&accname=University
+of+Pittsburgh+Falk+Library&checksum=2B2E214
DE4759983148696C1E7275781
This article published by the Water Environment
Federation covers a complete overview of wastewater
from the treatment, reuse, and disposal of wastewater
to the inorganic and organic toxins and bacteria in
water. Topics covered in this article include
wastewater in irrigation and agriculture, treatment
systems, wastewater reuse in aquaculture, microbial
contaminants (bacteria, parasites, inorganic/organic
compounds), and more. This article is important to us
as it covers the vast topic of wastewater in an easy-tofollow format. We will use the information provided
to heighten our knowledge on wastewater to develop
[5] Avoki M. Omekanda. “Robust Torque and Torqueper-Inertia Optimization of a Switched Reluctance
Motor Using the Taguchi methods.” IEEE (online
article)
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp
=&arnumber=1608225
In this paper, Taguchi’s method of optimization is
used to maximize the torque and torque per inertia of
a motor. Information involving the motor is not very
important, however, it is one of the easier to
understand applications of Taguchi’s methods of
optimization. This will provide background
information about how the Taguchi methods are
applied to a problem. Knowing the easier applications
will provide stable groundwork to grasp more
intensive and crucial needs for the Taguchi methods.
[6] Adib Amini, Youngwoon Kim, Jie Zhang.
“Environmental and economic sustainability of ion
exchange drinking water treatment for organics
removal.” University of Florida and University off
South Florida. (online article)
http://rt4rf9qn2y.search.serialssolutions.com/?sid=E
I:Compendex&genre=article&issn=09596526&date=2015&volume=104&issue=&spage=41
3&epage=21&title=Journal+of+Cleaner+Productio
n&atitle=Environmental+and+economic+sustainabi
lity+of+ion+exchange+drinking+water+treatment+
for+organics+removal&aulast=Amini&aufirst=A.&i
sbn=
The University of Florida’s and the University of
South
Florida’s
Environmental
Engineering
departments wrote this essay that was accepted at a
conference after an initial draft. This paper discusses a
method of getting rid of organic contaminants. This
will give useful information about the mechanisms of
water treatment of Malachite green, which is an
organic compound. This will be useful for background
information about the water treatment process
mechanisms and the specific process that will be used
to eradicate Malachite green from the water supply.
[7] Madaeni, S. S., Koocheki, S. “Application of
Taguchi methods of optimization of wastewater
treatment using spiral wound reverse osmosis
element.” Chemical Engineering Journal. (online
article)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S13
85894706000866
The article was located on an engineering database,
and published in a chemical engineering academic
journal. The article describes in great detail the process
of using Taguchi’s methods of optimization to
improve a process of water treatment, specifically, the
reverse osmosis wound element. The information in
this article will give invaluable information to weave
the Taguchi methods of optimization and water
treatment together. Also it is useful as an example of
an application.
[8] Z. Gonder, Yasemin Kaya. “Optimization of
filtration conditions for CIP wastewater treatment by
nanofiltration process using Taguchi approach.”
University of Istanbul (online article)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S13
83586609004109
The article was located on an engineering database,
and it was funded and conducted by the University of
Istanbul. The article describes the process of using
Taguchi’s methods of optimization to make a specific
type of water treatment most efficient and effective.
This article hones in on nanofiltration. This article
serves as an example of the Taguchi method of
optimization and also gives information about water
filtration in general that will be very helpful.
SOURCES CONSULTED
[9] (2016). “The Water Purification Process at the
Carrollton Plant.” Sewerage and Water Board of New
Orleans.
http://www.swbno.org/history_water_purification.asp
[10] M. Safarrıkova. (2001). “Detection of low
concentrations of malachite green and crystal
violet in water.” Czech Republic Department of
General
Biology.
(research
report).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11590607_
Detection_of_low_concentrations_of_malachite_gree
n_and_crystal_violet_in_water
[11] T. Yang. (2014). “Applying the Taguchi Method
to River Water Pollution Remediation Strategy
Optimization.”
International
Journal
of
Environmental Research and Public Health .
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025
036/
[12] N. Daneshvar. (2006). “Biodegradation of dye
solution containing Malachite Green: Optimization of
effective parameters using Taguchi method.” Journal
of
Hazardous
Materials.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025
036/