Electrocoagulation treatment of peat bog drainage water containing humic substances

Abstract Electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of 100 mg/L synthetic wastewater (SWW) containing humic acids was optimized (achieving 90% CODMn and 80% DOC removal efficiencies), after which real peat bog drainage waters (PBDWs) from three northern Finnish peat bogs were also treated. High pollutant removal efficiencies were achieved: Ptot, TS, and color could be removed completely, while Ntot, CODMn, and DOC/TOC removal efficiencies were in the range of 33–41%, 75–90%, and 62–75%, respectively. Al and Fe performed similarly as the anode material. Large scale experiments (1 m3) using cold (T = 10–11 °C) PBDWs were also conducted successfully, with optimal treatment times of 60–120 min (applying…