Phosphate Removal Efficiency and Life Cycle Assessment of Different Anode Materials in Electrocoagulation Treatment of Wastewater

The excessive discharge of phosphorus-containing wastewater contributes to eutrophication, posing a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, methods such as electrocoagulation should be utilized to remove phosphorus from wastewater prior to discharging it into a water body. In this study, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of electrocoagulation in treating simulated phosphorus-containing wastewater under different parameters, including anode material (aluminum, iron, and magnesium), electrode distance (ED) (1, 2.5, and 4.5 cm), pH (3, 6, and 9), and current density (CD) (3, 6, and 9 mA/cm2). Additionally, three models of phosphate removal, the pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and Behnajady–Modirshahla–Ghanbery (BMG) models, were used to simulate the relationship between phosphate concentration and time in the electrocoagulation process using the three metals for phosphate removal. The experimental results showed that the aluminum system had the highest removal efficiency (90%) when energized for 20 min under a CD of 3 mA/cm2, followed by those of the iron (80%) and magnesium (35%) systems. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment (LCA) showed that the aluminum electrode system had a smaller environmental impact than the iron and magnesium electrode systems. Therefore, the aluminum electrode system is suitable for phosphorus removal from wastewater.