## 1 Introduction  
Azo dyes represent the largest and most versatile class of dyes, accounting for over 50% of global dye production [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. About 70% of dyes used in industrial applications belong to this category. With a staggering variety of over 2000 distinct types, azo dyes are a staple in colour manufacturing, boasting an impressive global production volume that surpasses 700,000 tons annually [1]. Azo dyes are widely used in various industries, including textiles, leather, chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc., due to their strong colour intensity, chemical stability, thermal stability and cost-effectiveness [3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14]; one of these is Tartrazine Yellow (TY) dye [4; 5]. TY, along with erythrosine (E127) is one of the most commonly used synthetic dyes in the food industry, used in the production of soft drinks, cakes, sauces, yoghurts, chips, candies, etc. It is also used in the production of non-food consumables, like soaps, cosmetics, and shampoos, in the pharmaceutical industry, for colouring medicinal capsules and prescription drugs, and in the textile industry [15; 16; 17]. However, the presence of azo dyes in industrial effluents poses significant environmental concerns due to their resistance to biodegradation, leading to their accumulation in natural water bodies. Their release into the environment causes water coloration, reduced light penetration, and the disruption of aquatic ecosystems [18]. Additionally, under certain conditions, azo dyes can degrade into aromatic amines, which are associated with mutagenic and carcinogenic effects [19; 20; 21; 22; 23]. Aquatic organisms are particularly sensitive to dye effluents. The presence of these chemicals affects their development and behaviour and induces oxidative stress. The negative influence of TY on aquatic organisms was shown in the study by [PERSON] and associates [24], who found that TY exposure significantly reduces embryo fertilisation and hatching rates, inflicts histopathological damage to tissue, triggers oxidative stress, disrupts innate immune function, and causes dysbiosis of gut microbiota in juvenile crucian carp. Investigations of the ecotoxicity of TY have shown high embryo malformation and larval mortality rates in aquatic biota, polluted in concentrations considered to be safe for humans [17]. The acceptable daily intake of TY for humans is 7.5 mg/kg body weight per day, but investigations have shown adverse effects, like nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, wheezing, itchy skin, and urtic, for people with higher sensitivity to this dye and those with aspirin intolerance, estimated at 3% of population [24; 25; 26; 27]. Health hazards, including allergic reactions, negative behavioural effects in children, and genotoxic potential, make its removal a priority objective in wastewater treatment [28; 29; 30; 31]. Given their persistence and negative effects, developing effective remediation techniques is essential. Various physical, chemical, biological, and electrochemical methods have been explored for azo dye removal from wastewater. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including Fenton oxidation, ozonation, and photocatalysis, provide efficient dye degradation but often require high-energy inputs and specialised reagents [32]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [33] investigated the suitability of advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of Indigo Carmine, Tartrazine, and Allura Red AC dyes through single processes (oxidation using H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\), the Fenton process, and O\({}_{3}\)) and hybrid processes (O\({}_{3}\) + H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) and O\({}_{3}\) + Fenton). They found that the use of hydrogen peroxide (H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\)) alone was not effective for the degradation of the analysed dyes (max. efficiency was 9.38%), the ozonation process was effective in removing only Indigo carmine (97%), while for Tartrazine and Allura Red AC, only 8.46% and 4.32% were removed, and the Fenton process led to the complete decolorization of all dyes.