Treatment and operation cost analysis of greywater by electrocoagulation and comparison with coagulation process in mining areas

Electrocoagulation process is a new and developing method that has been employed significantly to remove pollutants from wastewater. In this research the electrocoagulation process has been examined for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, hardness, and organic matter from greywater. An economical comparison has been implemented between electrocoagulation and coagulation processes near the mining areas. The results demonstrate that the electrode type and operation time have a significant impact on the removal of COD, turbidity, and hardness. The least operating cost to remove organic matters is similar to US$ 0.04 m(-3) for the iron electrode. Since the least operating cost was US$ 0.09 m(-3) in coagulation process, economically, the electrocoagulation process in comparison with the coagulation process is a more effective process.