Characteristics of Organics and Nutrients Removal in Municipal Wastewater Treatment by Electrolysis using Copper Electronic Conductor

A novel electrolytic treatment process installed with copper electronic conductors was developed, and it was applied for the treatment of municipal wastewater under the conditions of constant voltage and adjustable current in a continuous mode. The organics could be successfully removed in very shorter reaction time through the electro-coagulation reaction. The fraction of copper hydroxide removed from the electronic conductor has been increased in the effluent as the electro-coagulation reaction progressed. The nitrogen could be reduced by the elimination of ammonia nitrogen, in early electrolysis reaction, and the phosphorus removal could be also accomplished by the formation of complicated compounds with metal such as copper phosphate. By the aeration after electrolysis reaction, the additional removal of organics by the oxidation and nitrogen by ammonia stripping could be achieved successfully. Thus, the electrolytic treatment process with copper electronic conductors would be good alternative method of conventional municipal wastewater treatment technologies for the simultaneous removal of organics and nutrients.