Improvement of NO3 Removal from Wastewater by Using Batch Electrocoagulation Unit with Vertical Monopolar Aluminum Electrodes

This work investigates the possibility of removing nitrate ions (NO3) from wastewater by using monopolar vertical aluminum electrodes in a batch electrochemical unit. Variables studied were current density, initial NO3 concentration, initial solution pH, electrolysis time and anode diameter. The results show that up to 90 % of NO3 can be removed in approximately 80 minutes. To throw some light on the economy of the process power consumption was measured against current density and percentage removal. The results show that the ratio ( % removal/power consumption) dramatically decreased from 34.9 to 0.45 by increasing the current density from 3 to 13 mA/m 2 which suggests that the economy of the process is favored by low current densities