Abstract
This work investigates the performance of an electrocoagulation reactor for the removal of phosphate and nitrate ions from wastewater using monoplar iron vertical electrodes. Experimental results show that phosphate and nitrate removal efficiency was improved by increasing both solution flow rate and current density while it was decreasing by increasing ratio (N/P) and by increasing the initial ions concentrations. Experimental results further show that the electrocoagulation process can be described by a first order rate equation for the removal of phosphate and nitrae. A correlations for the effect of solution flow rate on the rate of mass transfer for both phosphate and nitrate ions in the form K-P=0.005V (0.537) and K-N=0.0065V (0.45) were deduced. This equation can be used for the preliminary design of an electrocoagulation unit used for phosphate and nitrate mixture removal from wastewater.