Electrochemical treatment of wastewaters slaughterhouse and packaging plant by using iron electrodes

Slaughterhouse wastewater originating from slaughterhouse and meat processes contains high concentrations of organic substances. Discharging this kind of wastewater to a river, sewer system or soil causes an important pollution for receiving body. In my master thesis, treatability of slaughterhouse and poultry wastewater by electrocoagulation method that would be feasible and economic in use for small and mid size facilities were examined. Effects of current density, supporting electrolyte concentration, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration, different pH values on the removal efficiency and energy consumption were studied in a semi continuous flow and continuous flow in a tubular iron reactor with iron electrodes. Operating costs for the experiments have also been calculated.In the experiments, the highest removal efficiency of COD was obtained. In the optimum treatment conditions, the experiments done with the real slaughterhouse wastewater, COD decreased from 840 mg/L to 84 mg/L with a removal efficiency of 90,00 %. In the experiments done with real poultry wastewater, COD was reduced from 9400 mg/L to 425 mg/L and the removal efficiency was 95,48 %.Keywords : Electrocoagulation, slaughterhouse wastewater, poultry wastewater,COD.