Abstract

The discharge of antibiotics in wastewater endangers human health. Electrocoagulation (EC) technology can effectively treat chloramphenicol (CAP) in wastewater, but its practical application is limited by issues such as plate passivation, high energy consumption, and a large sludge volume. This study compared the CAP removal performances of positive single pulse current electrocoagulation (PSPC-EC), alternating pulse current electrocoagulation (APC-EC), and conventional direct current electrocoagulation (DC-EC). Under optimal operating conditions, all three methods achieved similar CAP removal rates of >98%, although DC-EC was significantly faster. However, PSPC-EC and APC-EC reduced the sludge quality by 34.95% and 87.48%, respectively, compared with DC-EC and the energy consumption by 57.74% and 39.62%, respectively. PSPC-EC produced a slightly larger floc size than the other methods, which weakened the adsorption capacity. Energy-dispersive spectrometry demonstrated that APC-EC produced flocs with a higher carbon content, which indicates greater adsorption capacity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the flocs produced by the three methods had absorption peaks with similar intensities at the same characteristic wavelengths. The results confirmed that pulse current EC may be a better choice than DC-EC for CAP removal and can effectively reduce operating costs and sludge production in actual wastewater treatment.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.