Assessment of an Electrocoagulation Reactor for the Removal of Oil Content and Turbidity from Real Oily Wastewater Using Response Surface Method

Background: Large amounts of oily wastewater and its derivatives are discharged annually from several industries to the environment. Objective: The present study aims to investigate the ability to remove oil content and turbidity from real oily wastewater discharged from the wet oil's unit (West Qurna 1-Crude Oil Location/ Basra-Iraq) by using an innovated electrocoagulation reactor containing concentric aluminum tubes in a monopolar mode. Methods: The influences of the operational variables (current density (1.77-7.07 mA/cm2) and electrolysis time (10-40 min)) were studied using response surface methodology (RSM) and Minitab-17 statistical program. The agitation speed was taken as 200 rpm. Energy and electrodes consumption had been studied and modeled. Results: The results revealed the positive effect of the electrodes design on the studied responses. Conclusion: Under the optimum values of the operating variables (5.675 mA/cm2, 40 min), 85.982% and 84.439% removal efficiencies of oil content and turbidity respectively were obtained and the consumption of energy and electrodes were observed as 4.333kWh/m3 and 0.36 g respectively.