Effects of Operational Parameters on the Removal of Tetracycline from Aqueous Solutions by Electrocoagulation

Objectives: In this research, the efficiency of the Electrocoagulation (EC) process with aluminum electrodes in the removal of Tetracycline (TC) from synthetic solutions was studied. Methods: This study experimentally was run consisting of a 1.5 L glass beaker and four electrodes which installed in parallel. In each of test, 1 L of wastewater add into the reactor, then effect of four parameters including the current density (100-400 A/m(2)), reaction time (10-60 min), initial concentration of TC (10-100 mg/L and the pH of wastewater (pH=3-11) on process performance were investigated. Results: The findings showed that the %removal decreased as initial TC concentration increased, the highest removal obtained at pH in the range (57). The initial TC concentration of 10 mg/L was reduced to 0.127 mg/L with the removal efficiency of 98.73% at 400 A/m(2) after 60 min EC. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that EC process by aluminum electrode is an effective method for TC removal from wastewater.