Continuous treatability of oily wastewater from locomotive wash facilities by electrocoagulation

The present work focuses on the feasibility of electrocoagulation (EC) process for the treatment of oil and grease wastewater generated from locomotive wash facilities. Experimental investigations have shown the influence of various factors affecting EC using continuous reactor. The effect of various operating parameters, like reaction time, electrode spacing, and applied voltage, was investigated and optimized using Box-Behnken design method. The optimized value of applied voltage and electrode spacing were found to be 28 V and 3 cm, and Chemical Oxygen Demand removal efficiency obtained was 91.9%. As a result, EC process can be an alternative method for the treatment of oily wastewater.