COD removal from leachate by electrocoagulation process: treatment with monopolar electrodes in parallel connection

Abstract

Abstract This study examines the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from landfill leachate generated from the municipal landfill site of Bingol, Turkey. The effect of parameters such as current density, pH, and inter-electrode distance during the electrocoagulation (EC) process on COD removal of the process was investigated. Moreover, for COD removal, the energy consumption and operating costs were calculated for iron electrode under the EC conditions. COD removal efficiency was 72.13% at the current density of 16 mA m−2, pH of 8.05, and the inter-electrode distance of 9 mm at the detention time of 60 min with iron electrode and the COD concentration was reduced from 6,100 mg L−1 to 1,700 mg L−1 by EC. The highest value of the electrical energy and electrode consumptions per kg of COD in the optimum conditions were determined as 0.055 kWh kg−1 COD and 3.43 kg kg−1 COD and the highest operating cost value was found to be 1.41 US$ kg−1 COD for 0–60 min time intervals.