Removal of Methyl Orange Dye from Aqueous Solution Using Electrocoagulation System

Access to freshwater is currently becoming more difficult, primarily as a result of population growth, the expansion of industry, and the lack of regulation over the various effluents in waterways. Wastewater that contains dyes is one of the main environmental hazards to freshwater. Methyl orange is one of the frequently used dyes, and lethal exposure to it can have serious negative effects on one's health and the environment. In the current study, iron and steel electrodes were used to apply an electrocoagulation technique to the removal of the dye methyl orange from aqueous solutions under various conditions. Due to its simplicity, effectiveness, low cost, and lack of excessive chemical use, the electrocoagulation method was adopted. To determine how each parameter affected the dye removal efficiency, variations in the following parameters were examined: pH, initial methyl orange concentration, electrode distances, agitation speed, applied voltage, and electrolyte amount. The results demonstrate that for both iron and steel electrodes, nearly 100% of 20 ppm methyl orange was removed in 20 minutes at pH = 3, electrode distance of 2 cm, electrolyte concentration of 0.75 g, applied voltage of 6 V, and stirring speed of 200 rpm. Additionally, the steel and Fe electrodes used 1.485 kWh and 1.683 kWh of electrical energy, respectively, and showed 62.99% and 79.61 % faraday electrode efficiencies. When the electrical energy used, the cost of the electrodes, and the chemicals to adjust the conductivity are taken into account, the operating costs to treat 1 m3 of aqueous solutions containing 20 ppm of methyl orange were 0.45 USD for iron electrodes and 0.51 USD for steel electrodes. The findings of this study are in line with previously published data that showed that increasing the applied voltage, electrolyte dosage, electrode distance, and pollutant concentration have an impact on the effectiveness of pollutant removal. The findings of this research demonstrate that the electrocoagulation approach can be successfully used to treat dye contaminated water when taking into account removal efficiency, treatment duration, ease of operation, and treatment cost. The generated sludge can also be characterised, modified, and conditioned for further use as an adsorbent or fertiliser.