Comprehensive study on the batch electrocoagulation for real dyeing wastewater treatment

The desire to protect the environment and the increasing demand for green methods in dealing with environmental problems are leading researchers to consider a sustainable and reliable method for treating dyeing wastewater. One of these methods is treatment using the electrocoagulation system. In this study a novel laboratory-scale electrocoagulation reactor was developed in which the reactor body itself served as the cathode, eliminating the internal cathode plate and improving current distribution and operational stability. The effects of electrode spacing and treatment time using aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) electrodes, on the contaminant removal efficiency were investigated. The effects of electrode spacing and treatment time were studied by testing of electrode spacing of 2, 5, and 7 cm and retention periods of 10 to 30 min at 5 min intervals. The results showed that with the Al electrode, the most effective performance was achieved at the electrode spacing of 5 cm and treatment time of 20 min. Under these optimum conditions, the efficiencies for removing BOD, COD, TSS, color, and turbidity were calculated to be 83, 83, 97, 98, and 93%, respectively. The findings of this research demonstrates that the electrocoagulation system has high potential in the treatment of dyeing wastewaters.