Removal of nickel ion from electroplating wastewater using double chamber electrodeposition cell (DCEC) reactor partitioned with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaves

Abstract

Nickel is a heavy metal present in many types of industrial wastewater, and its contamination to the water bodies should be prevented. The objective of this research was to study the performance of Double Chamber Electrodeposition Cell (DCEC) for nickel ion removal. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaves were used to separate the two chambers. The experiment was performed with synthetic electroplating wastewater in a batch system for 72 h. Changes of pH, electric current, and nickel ion concentration in the catholyte were monitored. An experiment with Single Chamber Electrodeposition Cell (SCEC) was also performed as comparison. After 72 h operation of DCEC, nickel ion concentration in the catholyte decreased from 2200 g.m-3 to 0.4 g.m-3, equivalent to 99.98% removal. DCEC reactor performed better than the SCEC reactor that only achieved 59% removal. The results show that an almost-complete removal of nickel ion can be achieved with DCEC. Water hyacinth leaves can be used as low-cost alternatives for industrial membranes.