Avaliação do uso de Eletrólitos como Suporte no Tratamento de Efluentes de Restaurante Universitário pelo Processo de Eletrocoagulação

Abstract

Urban centers have been expanding over the years, and with that, the need for energy and water to sustain their development increases. As a consequence of this growth, they end up producing a significant amount of pollutants that can affect water bodies. Industrial effluents have a diverse composition and should be discharged into domestic sewage after treatment according to specific standards to prevent environmental pollution. Among these effluents, restaurants contribute to the organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other potentially polluting compounds. Electrocoagulation can be employed as a means to minimize the pollutant load, thereby reducing the environmental impacts. This study aimed to assess different arrangements and coagulants for pollutant removal, using bench-scale electrolytic reactors with copper and aluminum electrodes and support electrodes such as sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), and aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3). Results obtained with the aluminum electrode demonstrate efficient removal of pollutants, with a color removal efficiency close to 98.6% and turbidity removal of 92.9% for a 5-minute treatment, applying a voltage of 5 volts and an energy consumption of 24.9 Wh/m3. This indicates that the electrolytic process is sufficiently suitable for removing solids from the effluent, showing promise for the use of the electrolytic process in the pre-treatment of restaurant effluents.