Improvement of aqueous nitrate removal by using continuous electrocoagulation/electroflotation unit with vertical monopolar electrodes

SummaryThe present study is to investigate removal of nitrate from water solutions by the Electro-Coagulation-Flotation (ECF) process in continuous operation under different conditions. Experimental results indicated that the maximum nitrate removal was achieved by aluminum–aluminum electrode arrangement as anode–cathode. The increase in current density from 0.4 to 3.2 mA cm−2 increased nitrate removal efficiency from 55 to 96% under optimum conditions of time and pH during the ECF. Continuous operation of the ECF reactor led to an increase of nitrate removal from 37% at a detention time of 10 min–96% at a detention time of 30 min. Mean energy consumption and current efficiency were found to be about 2.66 kWh g−1 NO3− and 160%, respectively