An Analysis on Various Methods in the Treatment of Wastewater Using Electrochemical Oxidation Techniques | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

This paper reviews the development, design and applications of electrochemical technologies in water and wastewater treatment. Particular focus was given to electro oxidation. Electro oxidation is finding its application in waste water treatment in combination with other technologies. It is effective in degrading the refractory pollutants on the surface of a few electrodes. Titanium-based boron-doped diamond film electrodes (Ti/BDD) show high activity and give reasonable stability. Its industrial application calls for the production of Ti/BDD anode in large size at reasonable cost and durability. Electrochemical oxidation (EO) as electrochemical method is unique by three aspects. The first is that is the most versatility process in water treatment area and covers: various industrial effluent treatment including, amongst others, distillery, agrochemical, pulp and paper, textile dyes, oilfield and metalplating wastes; hazardous effluent treatment including hospital wastes; removal of pathogens and persistent, pharmaceutical residues and biological from municipal wastewater treatment plant; removal of organic micro-pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium from water. Another aspect is that EO is complementary with most other methods: chemical or electrochemical, and is often combined with one or more of them. And finally, this procedure is the most interdisciplinary of all. It includes: material science, (micro)biology, (electro)chemistry, environmental protection, water supply systems, etc. Many human activities result in the production of wastewater. Usually, physical, chemical and biological processes are successfully combined for the treatment of municipal wastewater, attaining good removal efficiencies. However, some industrial processes introduce anthropogenic recalcitrant pollutants in wastewater that are quite difficult to remove or degrade using conventional means and that should be removed due to their hazardousness. In such cases, the application of an Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) uses to be a good and/or promising alternative to attain an appropriate effluent.