Operating parameters and costs assessments of a real dyehouse wastewater effluent treated by a continuous electrocoagulation process

•Treatment of a real dyehouse wastewater was studied with continuous flow EC.•Removal efficiencies of COD were 85% and 77% for Fe and Al electrodes at optimum conditions.•Operating costs at the optimum conditions were 1.562 $/m3 for Fe and 1.851 $/m3 for Al electrodes.

Treatment of a real dyehouse wastewater was studied with continuous flow electrocoagulation (CEC) process. Removal efficiencies of COD, TOC and turbidity were obtained as 85%, 76% and 95% for Fe electrode and 77%, 72% and 95% for Al electrode at current density of 65 A/m2, inlet flow rate of 0.010 L/min, operating time of 80 min (hydraulic retention time of 350 min), and current density of 65 A/m2 (the optimum operating conditions). The decrease in the inlet flow rate (0.20–0.010 L/min) led to an increase in removal efficiencies of COD (58–85% for Fe, 55–77% for Al), TOC (51–76% for Fe and 46–72% for Al) and turbidity (70–95% for Fe and 72–95% for Al). Operating costs for Fe and Al electrodes at the optimum operating conditions were calculated as 1.562 $/m3 or 7.282 $/kg COD for Fe electrode and 1.851 $/m3 or 14.257 $/kg COD for Al electrode. The results presented in this study revealed that the CEC process can be effectively used for the removals of color, COD, TOC and turbidity from textile wastewater.