Zn (II) removal from Sembrong river water by electrokinetic remediation

Heavy metals pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today. The treatment of heavy metals is of special concern due to their recalcitrance and persistence in the environment. Even many physical, chemical and biological treatment process has been proposed to remove heavy metals from river water, the use of these treatment processes are not efficient and costly. This study focused on the potential application of electrokinetic (EK) remediation in Sembrong River water to remove zinc (II) (Zn2+). The physicochemical and biological parameters and water quality index (WQI) of Sembrong River water was characterized. The electrokinetic remediation experiments were performed by controlling pH and electric density on voltage were observed and investigated. The results indicated that all physicochemical and biological parameters of Sembrong River complied with the standard discharged limit set by the Department of Environment (DOE) except for suspended solids (SS) and pH and categorized as Class III according to INWQS. The best performance of 88% efficiency can be achieved EK experiment run at a fixed voltage of 30 V at pH 5.14 after 60 min of the process operates. This technology may be exploited for faster and eco-friendly removal of heavy metals in the environment