Abstract

The possibility of using electrocoagulation for efficient removal of pollutants in the industrial liquid waste of a textile industry was studied. The performance of the process was evaluated through the analysis of color, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The analysis was first done with the wastewater coming from the process of dyeing linen, which is the most polluting of all effluents that reach the residual effluent pool (REP). For the analysis, the MODDE 7.0 software was used to construct a statistical model. With the results obtained from this model and the experimental measurements, response surfaces were obtained. These response surfaces predicted the behavior of electrocoagulation for different values of the studied variables (pH, current density, and treatment time). Based on the obtained results, the wastewater coming from the REP was treated using the optimum values for the operational variables. After the treatment it was possible to remove 86% color, 82% turbidity, and 59% COD. It was demonstrated that reusing the treated water in the process of wool dyeing does not have a negative effect on the quality of the dyed fabric. Thus, it is possible to implement the process in the textile industry to reduce the consumption of water.