Optimization of operational parameters in the pretreatment of surface water by electrocoagulation using a response surface method

The objectives of this work were to investigate the use of electrocoagulation (EC) as a pretreatment for surface water prior to its purification. To minimize the number of experiments, an experimental design was proposed for the control of experiments and the knowledge of the parameter effects on the effectiveness of this operation. For a best approach, a response surface method (RSM) was used in order to evaluate the influence of operational parameters on water quality. The influence of varying parameters was studied using in particular a D-optimal design. The models of surface responses developed in this study to predict the effectiveness of the pretreatment process were regarded as sufficiently applicable. The results obtained by polynomial simulation are in agreement with those obtained during the preliminary experiments.