Electrochemical oxidation of palm oil mill effluent using platinum as anode: Optimization using response surface...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Palm oil mill effluent (POME) poses significant environmental challenges due to its high organic load and recalcitrant pollutants.
• Conventional POME treatment methods often struggle with efficiency and cost-effectiveness, necessitating advanced treatment solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of electrochemical oxidation (EO) for treating palm oil mill effluent (POME).
• To optimize EO parameters, including voltage, electrolysis time, and chemical support (NaCl concentration), for maximum pollutant removal.
• To evaluate platinum (Pt) as an anode material for POME treatment.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical oxidation was employed using platinum as the anode and graphite as the cathode.
• Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was utilized to model and optimize treatment parameters.
• Key performance indicators monitored included chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction, color removal, and total oil removal.

Main Results:

• A quadratic mathematical model accurately predicted treatment responses, with R-squared values of 0.9853 for COD reduction, 0.9478 for color removal, and 0.9185 for total oil removal.
• Optimal conditions (15V, 2h electrolysis, 19.95 mg/L NaCl) achieved 84% COD reduction, 98% color removal, and 99% total oil removal.
• Platinum anodes demonstrated high efficiency in degrading organic pollutants and removing color and oil from POME.

Conclusions:

• Electrochemical oxidation using platinum anodes is a highly effective technology for treating palm oil mill effluent.
• The developed RSM model provides a reliable framework for optimizing EO processes for POME treatment.
• This study highlights the potential of EO as a sustainable and efficient method for managing POME pollution.