Electrochemical processes for the remediation of wastewater and contaminated soil: emerging technology

Abstract

11-19The review aims at providing an overview of electrochemical processes used for accomplishing the remediation of industrial wastewater, particularly elecrooxidation processes and electrocoagulation. The applicability of these technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil is also discussed. The use of electrochemical process as a pre-treatment step to enhance the biodegradability of wastewater containing recalcitrant or inhibitory compounds can potentially be justified due to the formation of intermediate, which is easily degraded in subsequent biological treatment. The enhanced degradation of wastewater may be attributed to the electrochemical oxidation of the organic compounds present in the aqueous phase to simple molecules, which may be easily biodegraded. The principle of electrooxidation process, involved in the remediation process was described along with specific applications. The application of electrocoagulation process for wastewater treatment is also reviewed