This study focused on reducing total chromium levels in raw wastewater from the leather tanning industry via electrocoagulation to comply with maximum permissible limits (MPL) and to determine the effects of main process parameters. An electrocoagulation reactor was built using aluminum electrodes as an anode and cathode. Then, the response surface methodology was applied using a 3k factorial design considering three factors, namely current intensity, treatment time, and pH. The total chromium removal percentage was considered as a response variable. 99% of the total chromium found in wastewater could be removed after 14-min treatment at 2-A current intensity and pH 5.5. Similar amount of chromium was removed at pH of 8.5 and 7. Statistical analysis performed at a confidence level of p < 0.05 revealed that all three factors influenced electrocoagulation. Total chromium could be efficient...

This study intends to assess the removal efficiency of the chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS) from raw tannery wastewater using electrocoagulation by aluminum electrodes as well as to determine the effects of its main operating factors. Therefore, the response surface methodology was applied through an experimental Box–Behnken design by considering the current intensity (I), treatment time (T), and pH levels as the factors. In addition, the BOD, COD, and TSS removal percentages were considered to be the response variables. The results indicate that the treatment time, current intensity, and pH level were significant for COD and TSS, whereas only the treatment time was significant at a confidence level of p-value < 0.05 for BOD. For COD, the optimal operating conditions were I = 3 A, T = 24 min, and pH = 8.4; for BOD, the opti...