In this study, the use of waste food grade aluminium foil and mild steel as a sacrificial electrode in an electrocoagulation system was developed to remove reactive red 111 from wastewater. The effect of different parameters like pH, current density, electrode material, and different electrode configurations was investigated. Optimum operating conditions for maximum COD removal were determined as, 6 mA/cm 2 current density and 30 min at 5 pH for aluminium foil and 7 pH for mild steel. Maximum COD reduction obtained at optimum conditions using monopolar 4 electrodes, monopolar 2 electrodes and bipolar electrode configuration were 96.5%, 89.3%, and 90.2% for Mild steel as a sacrificial electrode and 92.1%, 84.2%, and 88.6% for aluminium foil as a sacrificial electrode. The consumption of electrode and energy for both the electrodes of different configurations were calculated and compared. Using batch experimental data, a continuous-flow reactor was developed. Sludge analysis using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was done. Different adsorption kinetic models and isotherms were developed and it was found that pseudo second-order model and Langmuir isotherm fit best with the experimental data obtained.

The present study compares the treatment of pharmaceutical industry wastewater (PIWW) by coagulation‐flocculation (C‐F) and electrocoagulation (EC) techniques using response surface methodology (RSM). EC was performed with waste food‐grade Aluminium (Al) foil as a sacrificial anode. In C‐F, to minimize chemical usage, dual coagulants Aloe vera (organic) and ferric chloride (chemical) were used. Optimization using RSM for C‐F showed chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of 60.25 ± 0.28% at optimum operating conditions with R2 = 0.964 and adj‐R2 = 0.928, whereas EC resulted in COD reduction of 78.23 ± 0.38% and energy consumption 1.498 ± 0.0076kWh/m3 with R2 = 0.978 and adj‐R2 = 0.956. The result showed that the use of food‐grade waste Al foil as anode electrode (in EC) and the use of dual coagulant (in C‐F) can reduce COD from industrial effluent efficiently contributing to less hazardous sludge generation.