Electrochemical precipitation for water and wastewater treatment

Electrochemical precipitation (EP) is recognized as a promising technology for its facile removal of metal ions via electrochemically-driven precipitation or reduction reactions. This article summarizes a comprehensive overview of its current advances. Three types of EP, i.e., cathodic EP, membrane-separated seed system, and membrane-based EP, are presented, with particular interest focusing on their principles, kernel components, scale detachment methods, reactor configurations, and industrial applications for water softening and heavy metal ion removal/recovery. In addition, the remaining challenges and perspectives in the future EP development are described.