Degradation of Textile Wastewater by Electrochemical Method

Abstract

The degradation of diluted textile effluent was studied by electrochemical technique. For electrochemical degradation, the graphite carbon electrodes were used as anode and cathode. Electrochemical behavior of effluent was performed with cyclic voltammetry in different p H 1 to 11 using pencil graphite as working electrode. The potentials selected for the dyes were in the range +0.8 V to-0.4 V. The voltammetric curve of effluent at p H 1 shows cathodic peaks at +0.3365 V and +0.0613 V and anodic peaks at +0.396 V and +0.689 V. During electrochemical degradation, the chromoporic groups and aromatic rings were destroyed. Decolourisation and degradation of the effluent was followed using UV-vis spectroscopy, LC-MS and COD measurements. The dyes present in the textile effluent were completely oxidised and degraded with graphite electrodes. The effect of initial p H , supporting electrolyte and current density on the degradation of textile effluent was discussed.