Abstract
Boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode is a promising material for bio-refractory wastewater treatment in recent years. Due to the high conductivity of mustard tuber wastewater (MTWW), anodic oxidation of MTWW was evaluated using BDD as an anode, in order to diminish chemical oxygen demand and ammonium. The influence of several operating parameters including the applied current density, the dilution of the MTWW samples and the initial pH on the performance of electrochemical oxidation was investigated. At a current density of 50 mA cm−2, a dilution ratio of 1:2, without pH adjustment and 240 min of processing, the removal efficiencies achieved were 80.4% for COD and 100% for ammonium, and the corresponding specific energy consumption was 45.8 kWh m−3. The normalized concentration of COD and ammonium followed zero-order reaction kinetics with high correlation coefficients. The process was proved to be effective in degrading MTWW, despite this effluent’s usual refractoriness to biological treatment.
Acknowledgements
Financial support by the 111 Project (No. B13041) and the National Science and Technology Support Program (No. 2012BAJ25B06-001) are acknowledged.