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de Aguiar Pedott V, Della Rocca DG, Weschenfelder SE, Mazur LP, Gomez Gonzalez SY, Andrade CJD, Moreira RFPM. Principles, challenges and prospects for electro-oxidation treatment of oilfield produced water. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 370:122638. [PMID: 39342833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/21/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
The oil industry is facing substantial environmental challenges, especially in managing waste streams such as Oilfield Produced Water (OPW), which represents a significant component of the industrial ecological footprint. Conventional treatment methods often fail to effectively remove dissolved oils and grease compounds, leading to operational difficulties and incomplete remediation. Electrochemical oxidation (EO) has emerged as a promising alternative due to its operational simplicity and ability to degrade pollutants directly and indirectly, which has already been applied in treating several effluents containing organic compounds. The application of EO treatment for OPW is still in an initial stage, due to the intricate nature of this matrix and scattered information about it. This study provides a technological overview of EO technology for OPW treatment, from laboratory scale to the development of large-scale prototypes, identifying design and process parameters that can potentially permit high efficiency, applicability, and commercial deployment. Research in this domain has demonstrated notable rates of removal of recalcitrant pollutants (>90%), utilizing active and non-active electrodes. Electro-generated active species, primarily from chloride, play a pivotal role in the oxidation of organic compounds. However, the highly saline conditions in OPW hinder the complete mineralization of these organics, which can be improved by using non-active anodes and lower salinity levels. The performance of electrodes greatly influences the efficiency and effectiveness of OPW treatment. Various factors must be considered when selecting the electrode material, such as its conductivity, stability, surface area, corrosion resistance, and cost. Additionally, the specific contaminants present in the OPW, and their electrochemical reactivity must be considered to ensure optimal treatment outcomes. Balancing these considerations can be challenging, but it is crucial for achieving successful OPW treatment. Active electrode materials exhibit a high affinity for chloride molecules, generating more active species than non-active materials, which exhibit more significant degradation potential due to the production of hydroxyl radicals. Regarding scale-up, key challenges include low current efficiency, the formation of by-products, electrode deactivation, and limitations in mass transfer. To address these issues, enhanced mass transfer rates and appropriate residence times can be achieved using flow-through mesh anodes and moderate current densities, which have proven to be the optimal configuration for this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor de Aguiar Pedott
- Laboratory of Energy and Environment - LEMA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Daniela Gier Della Rocca
- Laboratory of Energy and Environment - LEMA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | - Luciana Prazeres Mazur
- Laboratory of Energy and Environment - LEMA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Sergio Yesid Gomez Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Mass Transfer and Numerical Simulation of Chemical Systems - LABSIN-LABMASSA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Cristiano José de Andrade
- Laboratory of Mass Transfer and Numerical Simulation of Chemical Systems - LABSIN-LABMASSA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Regina F P M Moreira
- Laboratory of Energy and Environment - LEMA, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
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Shah AA, Walia S, Kazemian H. Advancements in combined electrocoagulation processes for sustainable wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of mechanisms, performance, and emerging applications. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 252:121248. [PMID: 38335752 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
This review explores the potential and challenges of combining electrochemical, especially electrocoagulation (EC) process, with various - wastewater treatment methods such as membranes, chemical treatments, biological methods, and oxidation processes to enhance pollutant removal and reduce costs. It emphasizes the advantages of using electrochemical processes as a pretreatment step, including increased volume and improved quality of permeate water, mitigation of membrane fouling, and lower environmental impact. Pilot-scale studies are discussed to validate the effectiveness of combined EC processes, particularly for industrial wastewater. Factors such as electrode materials, coating materials, and the integration of a third process are discussed as potential avenues for improving the environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the combined EC processes. This review also discusses factors for improvement and explores the EC process combined with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP). The conclusion highlights the need for combined EC processes, which include reducing electrode consumption, evaluating energy efficiency, and conducting pilot-scale investigations under continuous flow conditions. Furthermore, it emphasizes future research on electrode materials and technology commercialization. Overall, this review underscores the importance of combined EC processes in meeting the demand for clean water resources and emphasizes the need for further optimization and implementation in industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aatif Ali Shah
- Materials Technology & Environmental Research (MATTER) lab, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada; Environment Science Program, Faculty of Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N4Z9, Canada.
| | - Sunil Walia
- Materials Technology & Environmental Research (MATTER) lab, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - Hossein Kazemian
- Materials Technology & Environmental Research (MATTER) lab, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada; Northern Analytical Lab Services (Northern BC's Environmental and Climate Solutions Innovation Hub), University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada; Environment Science Program, Faculty of Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N4Z9, Canada.
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Fuladpanjeh-Hojaghan B, Shah RS, Roberts EPL, Trifkovic M. Effect of polarity reversal on floc formation and rheological properties of a sludge formed by the electrocoagulation process. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120201. [PMID: 37336184 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Anode fouling is one of the key limiting factors to the widespread application of electrocoagulation (EC) for treatment of different types of contaminated water. Promising mitigation strategy to fouling is to operate the process under polarity reversal (PR) instead of direct current (DC). However, the PR operation comes at the cost of process complexity due to the alternation of electrochemical and chemical reactions. In this study, we systematically investigated the link between evolving fouling layer during DC and PR close to iron and aluminum electrodes and morphological and rheological properties of the formed sludge. By operando visualization of EC process, we demonstrate that during PR operation, precipitation of the iron and aluminum species occurs close to the anode interface, resulting in flocs with higher porosity and lower density than those formed under DC conditions. However, rheological investigation revealed that the PR conditions resulted in a sludge with more pronounced solid-like signature, but this enhancement in its viscoelastic properties is closely related to a period of the current's polarity reversal. We attribute this unexpected result to higher shear rate and collision of particles during PR conditions.
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Mousazadeh M, Niaragh EK, Usman M, Khan SU, Sandoval MA, Al-Qodah Z, Khalid ZB, Gilhotra V, Emamjomeh MM. A critical review of state-of-the-art electrocoagulation technique applied to COD-rich industrial wastewaters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:43143-43172. [PMID: 34164789 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14631-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Electrocoagulation (EC) is one of the emerging technologies in groundwater and wastewater treatment as it combines the benefits of coagulation, sedimentation, flotation, and electrochemical oxidation processes. Extensive research efforts implementing EC technology have been executed over the last decade to treat chemical oxygen demand (COD)-rich industrial wastewaters with the aim to protect freshwater streams (e.g., rivers, lakes) from pollution. A comprehensive review of the available recent literature utilizing EC to treat wastewater with high COD levels is presented. In addition, recommendations are provided for future studies to improve the EC technology and broaden its range of application. This review paper introduces some technologies which are often adopted for industrial wastewater treatment. Then, the EC process is compared with those techniques as a treatment for COD-rich wastewater. The EC process is considered as the most privileged technology by different research groups owing to its ability to deal with abundant volumes of wastewater. After, the application of EC as a single and combined treatment for COD-rich wastewaters is thoroughly reviewed. Finally, this review attempts to highlight the potentials and limitations of EC. Related to the EC process in batch operation mode, the best operational conditions are found at 10 V and 60 min of voltage and reaction time, respectively. These last values guarantee high COD removal efficiencies of > 90%. This review also concludes that considerably large operation costs of the EC process appears to be the serious drawback and renders it as an unfeasible approach for handling of COD rich wastewaters. In the end, this review has attempted to highlights the potential and limitation of EC and suggests that vast notably research in the field of continuous flow EC system is essential to introduce this technology as a convincing wastewater technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Mousazadeh
- Student research committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Elnaz Karamati Niaragh
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
| | - Muhammad Usman
- Institute for Water Resources and Water Supply, Hamburg University of Technology, Am Schwarzenberg-Campus 3, 20173, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saif Ullah Khan
- Department of Civil Engineering, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P., 202001, India
| | - Miguel Angel Sandoval
- Departamento de Química de los Materiales, Laboratorio de Electroquímica Medio Ambiental, LEQMA, Universidad de Santiago de Chile USACH, Casilla 40, Correo 33, Santiago, Chile
- División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta S/N, 36050, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México
| | - Zakaria Al-Qodah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Al-Balqa Applied University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Zaied Bin Khalid
- Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Vishakha Gilhotra
- Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Emamjomeh
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
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