Municipal wastewater treatment with electrocoagulation remediation technology

Abstract

When municipal wastewater is improperly discharged, it leads to major issues such eutrophication, degraded water quality, and possible risks to human and animal health. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of electrocoagulation with aluminum electrodes for the elimination of chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, and total dissolved solids from Shambu municipal wastewater. A pilot-scale experimental investigation was conducted in an electrocoagulation reactor using a cylindrical glass cell with an aluminum electrode plate that measured 6 cm in width by 8 cm in length by 0.6 cm in thickness. The cell had an active surface area of 48 cm2 and was connected to an external power source. An adjustment was made to the electrode spacing of 1.5 cm. When pH 7 and current density (1.8 A/dm2) were at their ideal levels, the maximum removal efficiency of total dissolved solids, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand was 97.7%, 98.8%, and 94.84%, respectively, after 60 min of treatment. 86.4 kWh/m3 of energy was used, and running cost was 32.7549 US dollars/m3. The treated water has been compared with standard of Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EEPA) and World Health organization, and found to be suitable for the reuse in irrigation except at lower Current density and Treatment time. The results showed that the Electrocoagulation method is an economical and ecologically beneficial way to eliminate pollutants in the municipal wastewater effluents.