Removal of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate from a model solution by continuous electrochemical oxidation

The aim of this work is to investigate the feasibility of the removal of surfactants from water continuously by means of direct electrochemical oxidation. Two different surfactant concentrations of 10 mgL−1 and 50 mgL−1 have been studied for electrochemical oxidation and the effects of applied current density and solution flow rates on energy consumption and removal efficiency have been investigated. The effects of the concentration of Na2SO4 used as a supporting electrolyte and pH on the performance of the process have also been examined. As a conclusion, it has been found that linear alkylbenzene sulfonate can be removed from water efficiently by using electrochemical oxidation requiring no chemicals and causing no sludge problem.