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...

This study aims to optimize the removal of total suspended solids (TSS) in pump water from fish flour factories through electrocoagulation technology and to determine the effects of the main operation parameters. Pump water has high conductivity (40.1 mS), due to the presence of dissolved salts and contains high concentration of organic substances (12,360 mg/L of TSS and 520 mg/L of fats). In this study, pump water was treated in an electrocoagulation reactor with aluminum electrodes using Response Surface Methodology with a 3kfactorial design based on two factors, current intensity (I) of 8–13 A and treatment time (t) of 20–40 minutes. The percentage of TSS removed from the water was used as the response variable. The results revealed that I and t significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the process. In accordance, the optimal operational parameters for TSS removal were I = 13 A and t = ...

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In the fishmeal industry, seawater is used to transport fish to the factories. Due to this, “pumping water” with high concentrations of organic matter is generated that is treated via chemical coagulation before letting it into the sea. The objective of this study is to characterize and compare the sludge obtained from conventional chemical coagulation and the sludge from the electrocoagulation process. A pilot electrocoagulation plant was built next to a chemical coagulation plant. The sludge obtained from both methodologies was analyzed for its proximal composition, its iron and aluminum content, and the fatty acid profile in its contained fat. Electrocoagulation was found to produce sludge with a higher concentration of lipids and ash, which indirectly confirmed that it removes more organic pollutants and salts than chemical coagulation. The contents of aluminum and iron in the sl...