Publication: Optimization of ultrasonic assisted electrocoagulation process to remove oil and grease from restaurant waste water
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Date
2023-06-01
Authors
Shefaa OMar Abu Nassar
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Abstract
Electrocoagulation (EC) combined with ultrasonic (US) is an emerging process
that is extremely effective in removing oil and grease (O&G) from wastewater. Indeed,
restaurant wastewater contains a high concentration of O&G, up to 3434 mg/L, which
is difficult to remove and can cause environmental problems. This study aims to
identify the optimum conditions for O&G and COD deg radation using EC treatment
via One Factor At A Time (OFAT) as a preliminary study, and response surface
methodology (RSM), investigate the EC, US, and US EC processing efficiencies to
remove O&G from restaurant wastewater, and determine the morphological surface of
the aluminium (Al) electrode via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate
the US efficiency to reduce the passivity layer. Wastewater samples were collected
from the Lembaran Cafeteria at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The inter elect rode
distance (ID, 2 6 cm), electrolysis time (T, 15 35 minutes), and current density (CD,
40 80 A/m 2 ) were analyzed, followed by RSM. The central composite design (CCD)
with a quadratic model was used to appraise the effects and interactions of these
para meters. The optimum removal efficiencies obtained were 95.4% (O&G) and 75.9%
(COD) (ID: 2.4 cm, T: 30.5 min, and CD: 53.2 A/m 2 ). The regression line fits the data
(R 2 O&G: 0.9838, and R 2 COD: 0.9558). The US EC combined technique is highly
recommended for O&G removal from the food industry’s wastewater, and the US was
useful in reducing the passivity layer on the surface of the Al electrode, which could
lower the EC treatment efficacy.