Electrocoagulation treatment of arsenic in wastewaters: A comprehensive review

Arsenic, classified as a carcinogen, is being subject to high concern due to its high toxicity especially in drinking water. Electrocoagulation (EC) has displayed a great potential as an effective and environmentally friendly method to remove arsenic from wastewaters. This review summarizes the recent development of arsenic removal in EC process including the effects of primary operating parameters, optimization of the EC performance, as well as the evaluation of EC reactor configurations. Production and characterization of EC products with respect to different electrodes are systematically discussed. Besides, this review sheds light on the debate about the mechanism involved in As(III) oxidation and further explores the arsenic adsorption behavior in EC process. Moreover, the performance of EC and other technologies are compared, and future research needs for arsenic removal in EC process are suggested accordingly. Overall, this review will contribute to deepening the understanding of EC process for arsenic removal and offer useful information to researchers in this field.