Abstract
The increased use of fertilizers from phosphates in agriculture generates water pollution by heavy metals contained in these phosphates at levels higher than the standards. In our study, we used a cadmium nitrate Cd(NO3)2 solution to simulate artificially polluted water, whose decontamination efficiency will be evaluated by an electrocoagulation/flotation process. During this work, we aimed to optimize the electrocoagulation process according to the following factors: initial pH of the solution, density of the electrolysis current, cell time, and nature of the supporting electrolyte and its concentration. The criteria adopted during the optimization of the process are relatively different from those used in similar studies. Indeed, we have tried to achieve maximum efficiency and also seeking to minimize costs and facilitate implementation. We achieved a 98% Cd removal efficiency from the solution at pH = 7, J = 6.25 A/m2, t = 10 min, and [K2SO4] = 0.01 M. In addition, during the characterization of the flocs obtained as a supernatant, we first highlighted the presence of Cd in this gelatinous body and then the relatively easy volatility of Cd as well as that of aluminum oxide (Al2O3).
Highlights
Heavy metals have recently become one of the major environmental problems for decision makers
We studied the influence of the intensity of the current on the elimination efficiency of cadmium
Is negative effect was due, among other causes, to parasitic reactions which compete with decontamination by forming complexes with Cd ions and keeps them in the solution and reduces the efficiency of their elimination
Summary
Heavy metals have recently become one of the major environmental problems for decision makers. The demographic evolution in the world was so dazzling that the need to search for more efficient means of production had become paramount. This has generated a huge amount of byproducts and more or less harmful waste for human health in the first place and for the environment in general [1,2,3]. We can cite the increasing use of industrial fertilizers in agriculture to optimize harvests. Ese fertilizers are generally obtained from phosphate deposits containing a large proportion of heavy metals [4]. Ese techniques have been tested by researchers around the world more or less effectively. Mention may be made of, for example, extractions by the chelating agent [7], ozonation process [8], precipitation [9, 10], electrodeposition [11], membrane processes, phytoremediation, and adsorption on the nanostructure [12, 13]
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