Effect of Electrode Connections on Cost Governing Parameters of Electrocoagulation Process Treating Leachate

This study reports effect of electrode connections on cost governing parameters of electrocoagulation process treating leachate in a batch mode. Real leachate samples were collected from Nandesari Environment Control Ltd. , GIDC Nandesari, Vadodara, Gujarat. Batch electrocoagulation was performed using aluminium and stainless steel as electrode material to understand effect of current density (10 and 30 mA/cm2), electrolysis time (o-120 min) using different connection modes like monopolar parallel, monopolar series, and bipolar series. Leachate contained 91-95 % of soluble COD. It is reported that either increase in current density or electrolysis time resulted increase in COD removal. At both the CD of 10 and 30 mA/cm2, minimum electrode was sacrificed by MPS mode using Al electrodes, while for SS electrode MPS was found better at lower CD of 10 mA/cm2, and at higher CD of 30 mA/cm2, MPP sacrified lesser electrode. At 10 mA/cm2, Al-MPS showed lowest energy consumption while at 30 mA/cm2 Al-MPP performed better. While SS-MPS consumed lowest energy at both the studied current densities. It is noted that to achieve optimized removal, EC alone cannot work due to soluble COD and hence aided treatment should be given to leachate along with EC.