Electrochemical treatment for greywater reuse: effects of cell configuration on COD reduction and disinfection byproduct formation and removal

Abstract

Abstract Electrochemical (EC) treatment presents a low-energy, water-reuse strategy with potential application to decentralized greywater treatment. This study focused on evaluating the impacts of cell configuration, current density, and cathode material on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in greywater. The formation and/or cathodic removal of active chlorine, perchlorate, haloacetic acids, and trihalomethanes were assessed during EC treatment. DBP formation was proportional to current density in undivided EC cells. Sequential anodic-cathodic treatment in divided EC cells resulted in COD removal in the catholyte and anolyte. The anodic COD removal rate (using a mixed metal-oxide anode) was greater than the cathodic removal rate employing boron-doped diamond (BDD) or graphite cathodes, but anodic and cathodic COD removal was similar when a stainless-steel cathode was used. The overall energy demand required for 50% COD removal was 24% less in the divided cells using the graphite or BDD cathodes (13 W-h L−1) compared to undivided cells (20 W-h L−1). Perchlorate formation was observed in undivided experiments (>50 μg/L), but not detected in divided experiments. While haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) were generated anodically; they were removed on the cathode surface in the divided cell. These results suggest that divided configurations provide potential to mitigate DBPs in water reuse applications.