Treatment and recovery of chemical industry wastewater by electrocoagulation process

In this study, the treatment of wastewater from a company producing chemical fertilizers and pesticides by EC process was evaluated. Following pilot scale analyses of industrial wastewater treatment applications with the EC process, optimization of EC process operating parameters was performed to improve removal efficiencies. The treatment/recovery potential of the wastewater was determined hypothetically by measuring the wastewater samples produced as a result of the production stages of the company. A pilot-scale EC reactor with a capacity of 100 l/h was used as pre-treatment technology and the on-site system was enhanced with sand and carbon filters. In the pilot-scale EC reactor, 16 aluminum electrodes were used, placed at intervals of 1 cm. The EC reactor was operated at a current density of 11.16 A/m2 with a hydraulic retention time of 20 minutes and was able to remove 37% conductivity, 84% turbidity, 86% chemical oxygen demand, 28% total suspended solids, 68% oil-grease and 71% total phosphorus for industrial wastewater from the chemical fertilizer and pesticide industry. Under optimum operating conditions, the use of sand and carbon filters resulted in a conductivity removal efficiency of 56%, while efficiencies above 95% were achieved for turbidity, oil-grease, TSS, COD, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus parameters. The initial investment cost of the system operated in the field was calculated as 11,115 Euro and the total consumable cost was calculated as 29.31 Euro/day. Total operating cost for energy and consumables is 41.70 Euro/day. The operational cost was calculated as 6.95 Euro/m3day.