Enhanced sludge solubilization by a fluidized electrode: Granular activated carbon promoted electrochemical oxidation

Electrochemical sludge pretreatment is receiving increasing attention because of its small footprint and higher environmental compatibility. However, the limited effective area of electrode plates and the low conductivity of sludge hinder the widespread application of electrochemical pretreatment. In this study, granular activated carbon (GAC) was employed to construct a fluidized electrode electrochemical system (FEE) to promote electrochemical pretreatment. Under the optimal operating parameters, the FEE system could effectively facilitate sludge decomposition, indicated by 126% increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and 23.1% reduction in sludge volume. Mechanism study revealed that the addition of GAC significantly enhanced the conductivity of sludge, thereby promoting the oxidation capacity of FEE system. Furthermore, continuously generated H₂O₂ in FEE further promoted sludge solubilization. GAC offered an effectively, green and sustainable enhancement approach for sludge electrochemical pretreatment.