Cylindrical electrochemical reactor in continuous upward flow: Influence of operational parameters in the treatment of cosmetic effluent

Abstract

The application of electrocoagulation (EC) for the treatment of cosmetic effluents, considered to be commonly toxic and of low biodegradability, has shown satisfactory results. However, most studies focus on batch experiments with the application of technologies complementary to EC. Along these lines, this research sought to evaluate the influence of operational parameters on initial pH, electric current density, conductivity and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of a cylindrical electrochemical reactor in continuous upward flow (CER-CUF) for the treatment of cosmetic effluent. A Fractional Factorial Planning 24−1, composed of 12 tests, was used to verify the influence of operational parameters. The results demonstrated the removal capacity of 78.38 % turbidity, 47.29 % COD and 40.90 % TOC in the operational conditions of HRT: 5 min; j: 10.0 mA cm−2; Initial pH: 4.0 and conductivity: 4000 μS cm−1. The estimate of the effects (p – value <0.10) applied to the operational parameters indicated that a lower HRT would result in an increase in the removal of COD and turbidity. Moreover, there was a decrease in residual Al in the treated effluent. The advantageous results in removing COD, TOC and turbidity are related to the operating conditions utilized by CER-CUF.