Enhanced electrokinetic remediation (EKR) for heavy metal‐contaminated sediments focusing on treatment of generated effluents from EKR and recovery of EDTA

Abstract Electrokinetic remediation (EKR) is one of the most successful remediation techniques to treat the sediments contaminated with heavy metals. EDTA is the most widely used enhancing agent to improve the transport process in EKR. But often the generated effluents from EKR contains a high concentration of heavy metals, which cannot be disposed of without treatment. The major objective of this study includes the estimation of optimal concentration of chelating agent EDTA, followed by treatment of contaminated sediments by EKR technique for heavy metal removal. The effluents generated from EKR were further studied for recovery and reuse of EDTA and for safe discharge of heavy metals. The optimum concentration of EDTA was found as 0.05 M with a solid‐to‐liquid ratio as 1:10. When fresh EDTA was used as enhancing agent the average removal of heavy metals obtained as 74.8% with EKR, whereas the application of recovered EDTA in treatment process in first, second, and third cycle showed the slight reduction of heavy metals of about 71.1%, 63.5%, and 52.1%, respectively. The heavy metal removal by recovered EDTA was effective in reduction of heavy metals up to three cycles of re‐use while reducing the ecological risk in sediments. Practitioner points Treatment of contaminated sediments with heavy metals achieved by electrokinetic remediation (EKR) technique enhanced with EDTA. The recovery of EDTA and heavy metal reduction from the generated effluents during EKR treatment were performed by the addition of FeCl 3 and Na 2 PO 4, and optimized concentration was evaluated. This study found that the use of recovered EDTA in EKR treatment has effectively reduced the risk associated with heavy metals.