Efficacy of Electrocoagulation Treatment for the Abatement of Heavy Metals: An Overview of Critical Processing Factors, Kinetic Models and Cost Analysis

Saif Ullah Khan (), Mohammad Khalid (), Khalid Hashim, Mehdi Hassanvand Jamadi, Milad Mousazadeh, Farrukh Basheer and Izharul Haq Farooqi
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Saif Ullah Khan: Department of Civil Engineering, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
Mohammad Khalid: Department of Civil Engineering, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
Khalid Hashim: Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Research Institute (BEST), Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Mehdi Hassanvand Jamadi: Omrab Canada Inc., 2283 Saint Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON K1G 5A2, Canada
Milad Mousazadeh: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 3419915315, Iran
Farrukh Basheer: Department of Civil Engineering, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
Izharul Haq Farooqi: Department of Civil Engineering, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: The electrocoagulation (EC) process introduces coagulants by electrochemical means, and is widely adopted for removing heavy metals, besides other contaminants, such as organic pollutants, suspended and dissolved solids, colloidal materials, etc. However, its capability can vary significantly, depending on the operating conditions. Although most of the investigations so far are limited at the laboratory level with artificially prepared solutions or industrial effluent lacking full- and field-scale studies, the success of the process depends a lot on optimizing the process variable. It has been found that the current density (typically 1–20 mA/cm 2 ), type of electrode (generally aluminum or iron) and minimum electrolysis time are the key process parameters that influence performance. Furthermore, key mechanisms involved in the EC process, including charge neutralization, reduction-oxidation and precipitation/co-precipitation, are crucial for pollutant abatement. This review presents a detailed study undertaking all significant parameters that play a crucial role in the EC process, its mechanism, and improving the efficiency of this process by optimization of these parameters, along with suitable kinetic models.

Keywords: toxic metals; electrochemical coagulation; electrolytic conductivity; optimization; water energy nexus; energy consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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