Recent Advances in Wastewater Electrocoagulation Technologies: Beyond Chemical Coagulation

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the recent research trends and application cases of chemical coagulation (CC) and electrocoagulation (EC), which play a crucial role in wastewater treatment. In particular, the principles and process performances of the EC technologies are comparably reviewed with traditional CC technologies. EC offers the advantage of reducing the use of chemical agents and minimizing sludge generation compared to CC. Moreover, recent research cases have demonstrated its effectiveness in removing pollutants from wastewater. With increasing water consumption due to industrial development, the application of coagulation processes in wastewater and sludge treatment is expected to expand to minimize environmental impact. This review provides insights into the current status and future development direction of CC and EC technologies and can serve as foundational information for more efficient and environmentally friendly coagulation systems. © 2024 by the authors.