Removal of Nitrate from Aqueous Solutions by Batch Electrocoagulation Processes Using Al and Fe Plate Electrodes

Year 2019, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 79 - 88, 05.08.2019

Benan Yazıcı Karabulut , Ayşe Dilek Atasoy , Mehmet İrfan Yeşilnacar

Abstract

Nitrate (NO₃^-) is the most common
water pollutant in the world, which has a serious threat to human health due to
its high solubility in water. Electrocoagulation (EC) process is an impressive
method for removal of pollutants from water. This study is focused on the
mechanism of NO₃^- removal from aqueous solutions by
electrocoagulation process with using aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) electrodes. Effects
of operational parameters such as electrode material, pH and conductivity on
the EC process were evaluated. The process carried out by batch method at room temperature
(25 ºC). The experimental results for Al–Al (anode-cathode) electrode reveal
that nitrate removal efficiencies are 85.94% and 75.29% at 240 min reaction
time, for pH of 3 and 10, respectively. Under the same conditions, for Fe-Fe
(anode-cathode) electrode combination, the removal efficiencies are 23.1% and 2.66%
at pH of 3 and 10, respectively. NO₃^- removal process was
carried out at 5V-1A electrical current. According to the
results of the study, it was observed that the Al plate electrode was better
than Fe plate electrode in NO₃^- removal. In addition,
electrocoagulation at low pH was found to be more effective for nitrate removal
in the Al-electrode-operated reactor. In addition, pH values and nitrate
removal percentages at Al-electrode-operated reactor increased continuously
during 240 minutes at low initial pH. On the iron electrode, steady changes
were not observed for pH and nitrate removal rates during process period. 

Keywords

Nitrate, Electrocoagulation, Batch method

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