Study of the efficiency of electrolysis process in phosphorus removal from the wastewater effluent of treatment plants

Although primary and secondary treatment processes when completed by disinfection can remove 85% of both BOD, SS and inactivate nearly all of the pathogenic microorganisms, few pollutants such as soluble COD, nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals are not completely removed from effluent. This may be regarded as a cause of trouble when larger volumes of these effluents are discharged into a small flow or a sensitive ecosystem. The aim of this study was to determine the efficiency of electrolysis process in removal of phosphorus from the wastewater effluent of treatment plants. This was an experimental study carried out by establishing a pilot reactor in the laboratory of water and wastewater microbiology of the school of public health (TUMS). The capacity of this reactor was 20 liters. The reactor was put into operation under different conditions of influent flows, electrical potentials and pollutants concentrations. In all of these experiments, flow was continuous. All plates embedded in anode pole as a flocculating agent, revealed a 90% removal of phosphorous. The future of electrolysis process for removal of phosphorous and other similar pollutants from effluents will be promising. Application of this technology can lead to a much more perfect and economical wastewater treatment with no (or less) sludge production and a favorable environmental health condition.