Application of Electrocoagulation technology for removing pollutants from electroplating wastewater

The growth of industry is caused problems to the environment as it considered the big source of pollutants like heavy metals, industrial wastewater coming from electroplating industry contain dangerous heavy metals like copper, cadmium, lead, that have a toxic effect on the environment because of their poisonous, persistent nature, these pollutants spread in the environment like air, water, soil and human can easily absorb these heavy metals from water, because of their ability to soluble in aquatic media. This study investigated the use of the (EC) electrocoagulation process in the treatment of electroplating wastewater that contain heavy metals, aluminum electrodes were used as anode and cathode for removing pollutants from wastewater. Batch tests were conducted to know the performance of pollutants removal by EC system and the optimum operating conditions were the electrolysis time of 40 min at the current of 0.4 A, interelectrode distance was 1 cm, and mixing speed 200 rpm and obtained removal efficiencies of Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+ ions were obtained (98%, 90%, and 67%) respectively, besides the removal efficiencies investigated in the present study were the energy consumption of EC and the material consumption of aluminum electrodes that varied from (0.335-5.32) kW-h /m3 and from (0.005 - 0.09) g with changing time from (2.5 -40) min, respectively. This method has proven its effectiveness and that it is eco-friendly, because of less generated sludge and no added chemicals.