Efficient removal of polyamide particles from wastewater by electrocoagulation

Abstract

With the increasing accumulation of microplastics in the water environment, it is essential to study the removal of microplastics in current treatment processes. Electrocoagulation is an effective wastewater treatment technique with the advantages of low cost, independence of chemicals, and ease to operation. This study aims to explore the removal efficiency, influencing factors, and mechanism of polyamide (PA) particles from wastewater treatment by electrocoagulation. The effects of electrode materials, applied voltage, initial electrolyte pH, and concentration on the removal of polyamide were systematically investigated. Our results showed that the combination of the iron anode and aluminum cathode (FeAl) achieved the best removal effect. The removal efficiency of microplastics increased with the increase of applied voltage and electrolyte concentration. Considering the energy consumption and cost, the removal efficiency of polyamide particles was 96.82 % after 120 min of electrolysis under the combination of FeAl electrode, with a plate spacing of 2.5 cm, an applied voltage of 10 V, an initial pH of 7, and an electrolyte concentration of 0.02 mol/L. The current study demonstrates the potential of electrocoagulation to remove microplastics from wastewater and provides engineering perspectives on the optimization of operating parameters.