US EPA

163265 

Journal Article 

Heavy Metals Removal from Acidic and Saline Soil Leachate Using Either Electrochemical Coagulation or Chemical Precipitation 

Meunier, N; Drogui, P; Montane, C; Hausler, R; Blais, JF; Mercier, G 

2006 

Yes 

Journal of Environmental Engineering
ISSN: 0733-9372
EISSN: 1943-7870 

ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS 

RESTON 

132 

5 

545-554 

English 

10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(2006)132:5(545) 

WOS:000242012500016 

This study compares electrocoagulation and chemical precipitation for heavy metals removal from acidic soil saline leachate (SSL) at the laboratory pilot scale. The electrocoagulation process was evaluated via an electrolytic cell [12 cm (width) x 12 cm (length) x 19 cm (depth)] using mild steel electrodes (10 cm width x 11 cm high), whereas chemical precipitation was evaluated using either calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH) sub(2)] or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). By comparison with chemical precipitation at a pH varying between 7 and 8, electrocoagulation was more effective in removing metals from SSL having a relatively low contamination level (124 mgPb/L and 38 mg Zn/L). For SSL enriched with different heavy metals (each concentration of metals was initially adjusted to 100 mg/L) and treated at a pH lower than 8.5, with the exception of Cd, the residual metal concentrations at the end of the experiments were below the acceptable level recommended for effluent discharge in urban sewage works (less than 4 mg/L of each residual metal concentration was recorded) using electrocoagulation, contrary to chemical precipitation using NaOH (more than 15 mg/L of each residual metal concentration was recorded). By comparison, chemical precipitation using Ca(OH) sub(2) was effective in reducing Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn under the permissive level, but not for Cd and Pb. However, both chemical precipitation processes needed to be operated at higher pH values (around 10.0) to be more effective in reducing metals from SSL and, therefore, required a pH adjustment of the effluent before discharge, whereas electrochemical treatment had a practical advantage of producing an effluent having a pH close to the neutral value and suitable for stream discharge in the receiving water. On the other hand, electrocoagulation was also found to be very efficient for removing Pb from very contaminated solutions (250-2,000 mg Pb/L). At least 94% of Pb was removed regardless of the initial Pb concentration in the SSL. Electrochemical coagulation involves a total cost varying from 8.67 to 13.00 $/tds, whereas 0.84 to 16.73 $/tds is recorded using chemical precipitation. The cost included only energy consumption, chemicals consumption, and metallic sludge disposal. 

Article Subject Terms: Chemical pollution; Chemical precipitation; Coagulation; Effluents; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Heavy metals; Hydroxides; Leachates; Metals; Pollution control; Precipitation; Precipitation processes; River discharge; Sewage disposal; Sludge; Sludge disposal; Sodium; acidic soils; pH; saline soils