Combating Dioxin and Furan Pollution in Mosul City's Industrial Water Effluents: The Efficacy of ELISA Detection and Tannic Acid Treatment

This study explored the application of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and tannic acid treatment for detecting and mitigating dioxin and furan pollution in industrial water effluents of Mosul City. Dioxins and furans, persistent environmental pollutants, pose significant health and ecological risks, especially in urban and industrially active areas such as Mosul. The research emphasizeds the need for efficient, sensitive, and cost-effective methods to manage these pollutants. ELISA has been identified as a promising method for the detection of dioxins and furans due to its sensitivity, specificity, and lower operational costs compared to traditional chromatographic techniques. This study applied ELISA to assess the concentration of these pollutants in water samples collected from 40 industrial sites across Mosul. The findings revealed substantial initial concentrations of furans and dioxins, which are a concern for both environmental and public health. To address the pollution, the study evaluated the effectiveness of tannic acid, a potential treatment agent, in reducing these contaminants. Samples treated with tannic acid demonstrated significant reductions in the levels of both furans and dioxins, with dioxin concentrations, for example, decreasing from an average of 0.518pg/ml before treatment to 0.041pg/ml after treatment. This notable decline highlighteds tannic acid's efficacy in precipitating these harmful compounds from water effluents. The results suggested that ELISA, combined with tannic acid treatment, offereds a viable approach for both detecting and reducing dioxin and furan pollution in industrial effluents. This approach could enhance the management of environmental pollutants and contribute to safer water systems in industrial regions. Further research is recommended to optimize treatment processes and validate the long-term applicability of these methods for wider environmental management practices.