Regeneration of activated carbon adsorbed EDTA by electrochemical method

Activated carbon after saturated adsorption of EDTA was used as particle electrode in a three-dimensional electrode reactor to treat EDTA-containing wastewater. Electrochemical method was used to regenerate activated carbon after many times of electrolysis. Based on the analysis of infrared spectra of activated carbon after adsorption and repeated electrolysis, EDTA was degraded into glycine, and then non-catalytic activated associated complex was formed with N—H bond on the activated carbon. The catalytic ability of the activated carbon vanished and the EDTA degradation efficiency was dropped. Activated carbon could be effectively regenerated by electrochemical method in the three-dimensional reactor. Effects of electric current, conductivity and pH on activated carbon regeneration were investigated, and the optimum conditions were concluded as follows: 100–300 mA of current intensity, 1.39 mS/cm of electric conductivity, 60 min of electrolysis time and pH 6.0-8.0. Under the optimized conditions, the activity of the activated carbon can be recovered and the residual total organic carbon (TOC) was below 10 mg/L (the initial TOC was 200 mg/L) in the three-dimensional electrode reactor.