Enhancing electro-Fenton-based tertiary treatment for tannery effluent via Response Surface Methodology

This study focuses on improving advanced oxidation methods as a final treatment for tannery wastewater. The goal was to find the best conditions for an electrochemical peroxidation (ECP) process that removes COD and color from tannery effluents at neutral pH, while reducing costs by avoiding chemicals that increase salinity effluent. Using an experimental design (CCD-RSM), the effects of current, treatment time, and hydrogen peroxide levels were tested. The best results were achieved with 36 mA/cm² current, 19.7 minutes of treatment, and 9.9 g/L of H2O2, removing 74% of COD and 96% of color. Adding UV-C light in photo-electrochemical and photolysis processes did not significantly improve removal and increased energy use. This study offers a new approach to remove hard-to-treat COD from tannery wastewater, overcoming limitations of traditional electro-Fenton methods. Future work should focus on making the process more sustainable for large-scale use.