Using electro‑ and alum coagulation technologies for treatment of wastewater from fruit juice industry in New Damietta City, Egypt
Electrocoagulation technology is being
increasingly used to treat various types of wastewater
over the last several years. This study aimed to investigate
the industrial wastewater treatment of a fruit
juice factory as an example of food processing industries
in New Damietta City, Egypt, by using electrocoagulation
technology. This is to solve an environmental
problem, represented in the high organic load
of these effluents. The electrocoagulation treatment
processes were examined by using two electrodes of
aluminum (Al) and two electrodes of stainless-steel
(SS) and also by using Al as an anode and SS as a
cathode. In addition, treatment by alum coagulation
was investigated. Results showed that electrocoagulation
was more effective than alum coagulation. The
use of two combined electrodes of Al as an anode and
SS as a cathode resulted in an 83.78% COD removal
efficiency, while the use of the alum coagulant
yielded 57.57%. Furthermore, total operating cost
was calculated, and the amount of hydrogen gas as a
subsequent energy alternative was theoretically determined
in order to solve the process’ power problem