REMOVAL OF ASPIRIN IN PHARMACEUTICAL WASTEWATER BY ELECTROCOAGULATION METHODS

Abstract

According to several researchers reporting, it was reported that organic pollutants dissolved in water were increasing. One of these increasing pollutants is aspirin. Our study aimed to remove aspirin in pharmaceutical wastewater by electrocoagulation, using an aluminum plate (15 cm x 4 cm x 0.5 cm) as an anode and a carbon plate (15 cm x 4 cm x 0.5 cm) as a cathode. Aspirin-containing organic pollutant samples (artificial) were prepared by dissolving aspirin purchased from a pharmacy in distilled water of varying concentrations. Before and after the sample is purified by the electrocoagulation process, its character is measured. pH, color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, density, and conductivity were measured. The differences in the character of organic pollutants (aspirin) before and after electrocoagulation were explained from various points of view, such as electrode distance, initial pH, current density, and contact time. The kinetic processes that occur are also observed and reported. Indicators of soluble aspirin pollutants, such as pH, color, turbidity, density, and conductivity, decreased significantly. Furthermore, the dissolved aspirin pollutant was associated with research variables such as electrode distance, initial pH, current density, and contact time. Electrocoagulation can be considered an alternative method to treat wastewater containing aspirin pollutants.