Studies on Removal of Soluble Phosphorous & Turbidity from Municipal Wastewater using Electrocoagulation
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Abstract
Enormous human activity, industrialization, and the use of excessive fertilisers are resulting in the discharge of nutrient-rich (N and P) wastewater into water bodies, leading to eutrophication, increasing the algal population, deteriorating the physico-chemical characteristics of the water, and inhibiting the growth of aquatic life. Eutrophication leads to a decrease in dissolved oxygen [DO] and increases the turbidity in water bodies, generating a toxic environment for aquatic life. The study aims to remove simultaneously phosphorous and turbidity from municipal wastewater using electrocoagulation. Soluble phosphorous is determined spectrophotometrically, and turbidity is found using a nephelometer. Synthetic wastewater was prepared and used for the optimisation studies. Operational parameters were optimised using response surface methodology. The application of electrocoagulation for the treatment of Ananthapuramu municipal wastewater under optimal conditions of an initial pH of 5.5, a voltage of 7.5 V, a runtime of 60 min, an inter-electrode distance of 3.5 cm, and an agitation speed of 350 rpm allowed for the removal of 76.65% phosphorous and 71.42% turbidity. The resultant treated wastewater conforms to the pollution norms, facilitating its reuse or release into natural water bodies.