Removal of Abamectin Pesticide by Electrocoagulation Process Using Stainless Steel and Iron Electrodes

Abstract

In this work the removal efficiency of abamectin and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from aqueous solution using the electrocoagulation process were investigated. The effects of operational parameters such as initial pH, initial abamectin concentration, current density, type electrolyte, salt concentration, and temperature on the pesticide and COD removal efficiency have been studied. With an initial pH of 3.7, an initial pesticide concentration of 150 mg/L, (current density 87.5 mA/cm2 and 50 mA/cm2 for stainless steel (SS) and iron (Fe) electrodes respectively), salt concentration of 1 g/L and temperature of 30°C, the results showed that abamectin and COD removal were 94% and 76.9% by using SS and were 64.5% and 50%, by using Fe electrodes. Pesticide removal kinetic followed pseudo first and second order kinetics using SS and Fe electrodes respectively. It can be concluded that electrocoagulation process by SS electrode is very efficient and clean process for abamectin removal and COD from wastewater.