Improving electrocoagulation performance by adding environmentally friendly materials

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the enhancement of electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of wastewater by adding mucilage extracted from Egyptian taro ( Colocasia esculenta ). EC is an efficient, eco-friendly method for removing pollutants such as total dissolved solids, total suspended solids (TSS), color, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater. The research explores the effects of different operational parameters, including applied voltage, treatment time, and pH, on the efficiency of EC using iron/aluminum electrodes. Mucilage was added as an environmentally friendly additive to enhance removal efficiency. The study used a laboratory-scale setup with kinetic and thermodynamic analyses to evaluate the removal mechanisms. Results indicate that the addition of mucilage improved COD removal, while other parameters like color and TSS were better without additives. The findings demonstrate that mucilage can be a potential enhancer in wastewater treatment, with the Langmuir and Freundlich models applied to describe the adsorption process.