Recent advances in phosphate removal from municipal wastewater by electrocoagulation process: A review

Phosphate is an important limiting factor causing eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs. Many water treatment technologies are frequently applied to advanced treatment of phosphate-containing wastewater. In recent years, electrocoagulation (EC), as an emerging alternative process, has shown great potential for competition and development in municipal wastewater treatment. This paper represents a comprehensive review of the EC process for phosphate removal, including the EC basic principles, (electro)chemical dissolution of the electrodes and possible side reactions, chemical equilibrium of the metal cations, phosphate removal mechanisms and control strategies to eliminate electrode passivation. We discuss the electrode configuration, process parameters, integrated EC process and operating cost in depth. The description of the latest research in the EC process provides new ideas for improving the wastewater treatment scenarios.