Application of Electrocoagulation for Printing Wastewater Treatment: From Laboratory to Pilot Scale

This study reports for the first time the application of electrocoagulation (EC) from laboratory to pilot scales for the treatment of printing wastewater, a hazardous waste whose treatment and disposal are strictly regulated. The wastewater was taken from three real printing companies with strongly varying characteristics. The treatment process was performed in the laboratory for operational optimization and then applied in the pilot scale. The weight loss of the electrode and the generation of sludge at both scales were compared. The results show that the raw wastewater should be diluted before EC treatment if its COD is higher than about 10,000 mg/L. Pilot scale removal efficiencies of COD and color were slightly lower compared to those obtained from the laboratory scale. At pilot scale, the effluent CODs removal efficiency was 81.9 - 88.9% (final concentration of 448 - 992 mg/L) and color removal efficiency was 95.8 - 98.6% (final level of 89 - 202 Pt-Co) which proved the feasibility of EC treatment as an effective pre-treatment method for printing wastewater as well as other high colored and hard-biodegradable wastewaters.