Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electro-Fenton technology for dairy wastewater treatment

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dairy industry is among the most contaminated of the food industries. Dairy industry wastewater contains a high organic load and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In recent years, due to the development of the dairy industry, the administration of dairy effluents has become the main problem since dairy effluents can be a dangerous and significant threat, especially to the aqueous environment. Therefore, there is an important need to improve the management and remediation of dairy effluents in order to ensure the economic viability of this major agricultural industry and to decrease environmental problems. Several works focused on the remediation of dairy wastewater. In this study, the effect of the electro-Fenton process on COD and turbidity removal from dairy wastewater was studied. The electro-Fenton process was optimized for four independent variables (pH, reaction time, volume of H2O2, and H2O2/Fe2+ (the molar ratio)). Moreover, the response surface methodology was utilized to design experiments and determine optimum operating conditions. Under optimal conditions (pH = 5.95, reaction time = 60 min, volume of H2O2 = 1.5 ml and the molar ratio of H2O2/Fe2+ = 1.8), the removal efficiency of COD was 95.8%. Also under optimal conditions (pH = 6.37, reaction time = 60 min, volume of H2O2 = 1.5 ml and the molar ratio of H2O2/Fe2+  = 2.09), the removal efficiency of turbidity was 97.2%.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and materials

The authors declare that data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article. If there are any questions or need additional information, please contact the article’s corresponding author.

References

  • Akkaya G et al (2019) Modeling and optimizing Fenton and electro-Fenton processes for dairy wastewater treatment using response surface methodology. Int J Environ Sci Technol 16(5):2343–2358

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batstone DJ, Hernandez J, Schmidt JE (2005) Hydraulics of laboratory and full-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors. Biotechnol Bioeng 91(3):387–391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bazrafshan E, et al (2013) Application of electrocoagulation process for dairy wastewater treatment. J Chem p 640139

  • Bazrafshan E et al (2016) Dairy wastewater treatment by chemical coagulation and adsorption on modified dried activated sludge: a pilot-plant study. Desalin Water Treat 57(18):8183–8193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bensadok K, El Hanafi N, Lapicque F (2011) Electrochemical treatment of dairy effluent using combined Al and Ti/Pt electrodes system. Desalination 280(1–3):244–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Borbón B et al (2014) Sequential electrochemical treatment of dairy wastewater using aluminum and DSA-type anodes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21(14):8573–8584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bournazou C et al (2012) ASM3 extended for two-step nitrification–denitrification: a model reduction for sequencing batch reactors. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 87(7):887–896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britz TJ, van Schalkwyk C, Hung Y-T (2006) Treatment of dairy processing wastewaters. Waste treatment in the food processing industry. pp 1–28

  • Davarnejad R, Nikseresht M (2016) Dairy wastewater treatment using an electrochemical method: Experimental and statistical study. J Electroanal Chem 775:364–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davarnejad R, Mohammadi M, Ismail AF (2014) Petrochemical wastewater treatment by electro-Fenton process using aluminum and iron electrodes: statistical comparison. J Water Process Eng 3:18–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demirel B, Yenigun O, Onay TT (2005) Anaerobic treatment of dairy wastewaters: a review. Process Biochem 40(8):2583–2595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fraga FA et al (2017) Evaluation of a membrane bioreactor on dairy wastewater treatment and reuse in Uruguay. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 119:552–564

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerek EE et al (2017) Combined energy and removal efficiency of electrochemical wastewater treatment for leather industry. J Water Process Eng 30:100382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Güven G, Perendeci A, Tanyolaç A (2008) Electrochemical treatment of deproteinated whey wastewater and optimization of treatment conditions with response surface methodology. J Hazard Mater 157(1):69–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karadag D et al (2015) A review on anaerobic biofilm reactors for the treatment of dairy industry wastewater. Process Biochem 50(2):262–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khandegar V, Saroha AK (2013) Electrocoagulation for the treatment of textile industry effluent–a review. J Environ Manage 128:949–963

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Körbahti BK, Aktaş N, Tanyolac A (2007) Optimization of electrochemical treatment of industrial paint wastewater with response surface methodology. J Hazard Mater 148(1–2):83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kushwaha JP, Srivastava VC, Mall ID (2010) Organics removal from dairy wastewater by electrochemical treatment and residue disposal. Sep Purif Technol 76(2):198–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markou V et al (2017) Electrochemical treatment of biologically pre-treated dairy wastewater using dimensionally stable anodes. J Environ Manage 202:217–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Melchiors MS et al (2016) Treatment of wastewater from the dairy industry using electroflocculation and solid whey recovery. J Environ Manage 182:574–580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Menon P et al (2021) Electro-Fenton assisted sonication for removal of ammoniacal nitrogen and organic matter from dye intermediate industrial wastewater. Chemosphere 269:128739

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moreira FC et al (2017) Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes: a review on their application to synthetic and real wastewaters. Appl Catal B 202:217–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nidheesh P, Gandhimathi R (2012) Trends in electro-Fenton process for water and wastewater treatment: an overview. Desalination 299:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paramo-Vargas J et al (2015) Applying electro-Fenton process as an alternative to a slaughterhouse effluent treatment. J Electroanal Chem 754:80–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prakash Kushwaha J, Chandra Srivastava V, Deo Mall I (2011) Studies on electrochemical treatment of dairy wastewater using aluminum electrode. AIChE J 57(9):2589–2598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivrioğlu Ö, Yonar T (2015) Determination of the acute toxicities of physicochemical pretreatment and advanced oxidation processes applied to dairy effluents on activated sludge. J Dairy Sci 98(4):2337–2344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suárez A, Fidalgo T, Riera FA (2014) Recovery of dairy industry wastewaters by reverse osmosis. Production of boiler water. Sep Purif Technol 133:204–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y et al (2022) Single-site catalysis in heterogeneous electro-Fenton reaction for wastewater remediation. Chem Catal 2(4):679–692

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tchamango S et al (2010) Treatment of dairy effluents by electrocoagulation using aluminium electrodes. Sci Total Environ 408(4):947–952

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tejedor-Sanz S, Ortiz JM, Esteve-Núñez A (2017) Merging microbial electrochemical systems with electrocoagulation pretreatment for achieving a complete treatment of brewery wastewater. Chem Eng J 330:1068–1074

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vourch M et al (2008) Treatment of dairy industry wastewater by reverse osmosis for water reuse. Desalination 219(1–3):190–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z et al (2022) Recent advances and trends of heterogeneous electro-Fenton process for wastewater treatment-review. Chin Chem Lett 33(2):653–662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yavuz Y et al (2011) Treatment of dairy industry wastewater by EC and EF processes using hybrid Fe-Al plate electrodes. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 86(7):964–969

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yorgun M, Balcioglu IA, Saygin O (2008) Performance comparison of ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis on whey treatment. Desalination 229(1–3):204–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Choi HJ, Huang C-P (2005) Optimization of Fenton process for the treatment of landfill leachate. J Hazard Mater 125(1–3):166–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for the support provided.

Funding

Financial support from the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Grant via Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    A. Mohmmad & M. T. Hamed Mosavian

  2. Department of Food Science Industry, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    M. H. Haddad Khodaparast

Authors
  1. A. Mohmmad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. T. Hamed Mosavian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. H. Haddad Khodaparast
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

A. Mohmmad designed and performed the experiments, derived the models, and analyzed the data. M.T. Hamed Mosavian supervised the project and was in charge of overall direction and planning. M.H. Haddad Khodaparast designed the device used in the treatment process and supervised the collection of samples and conducted experiments. A. Mohmmad wrote the manuscript in consultation with M.T. Hamed Mosavian and M.H. Haddad Khodaparast.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. T. Hamed Mosavian.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

Not applicable.

Additional information

Editorial responsibility: Maryam Shabani.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mohmmad, A., Hamed Mosavian, M.T. & Haddad Khodaparast, M.H. Electro-Fenton technology for dairy wastewater treatment. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 21, 35–42 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05113-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05113-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation