Investigation of Anionic Surfactant Removal Using Unipolar Electro-Flotation and Electro-Coagulation

Surfactants are considered as chemical combinations with many environmental impacts such as eutrophication, foam generation, and oxygen reduction. This experimental study is conducted to evaluate the removal of Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) using unipolar electro-flotation and electro coagulation system. The experimental set up was installed as a cubic shape with effective volume of 735 ml and stainless steel mono-polar electrodes arranged in a horizontal fashion. Parameters evaluated individualy for the overall system optimization include: distance between electrodes (0.5-1.5 cm), surfactants initial concentration (50-1000 mg/L), pH (3-11), current density (0.5–1.5 A), and electric conductivity (950-3500 S/cmμ). Results obtained during the 1 hr operation time showed that the optimum surfactant and COD removal efficiency were about 94 and 90 percent, respectively. This optimum removal eficciencies were accomplished under the following condition: pH=8, distance between electrodes =1 cm, initial surfactant concentration = 750 mg/L, current density = 1 A, and EC = 1440 μS/cm . In addition, the energy consumption and anode dissolution were 45.03 kWh/kg and 1.04 kg Fe/kg for SDBS removal, respectively. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study support the application of electro-flotation and electro coagulation as an appoperiate system for the removal of surfactants such as detergent.