Advancements in electrocoagulation for oily wastewater treatment: Mechanisms, efficiency, and applications

Oil is a necessary hydrocarbon product that people use daily. Throughout its lifecycle, it contaminates the environment, particularly water, at several stages, including production, transportation, refining, and use. This contamination necessitates advanced methods for removing oil from wastewater. Owing to its cost-effectiveness and versatility, electrocoagulation (EC) has emerged as a promising technique. In this review, we examine the current developments in EC for oil removal. The main points are as follows: 1) Process fundamentals: EC generates hydrogen gas and coagulants that help neutralize oil droplets; 2) Treatment optimization: Process modeling is combined with the study of variables that affect electrochemical efficiency; 3) Versatility and applications: EC can be applied to treat wastewater from a wide range of industries, including petrochemical plants, food processing facilities, restaurants, oil refineries, metal manufacturing plants, tanneries and biodiesel production; 4) Technological advancements: Recent progress in improving EC efficiency, managing sludge generation, and exploring hybrid technologies is discussed; and 5) Operational considerations: The discussion covers optimizing electrical energy use, process design, mitigating electrode passivation, and cost-effectiveness analysis. This review highlights the crucial role of EC in promoting sustainable wastewater management across diverse industrial sectors, with a specific focus on its effectiveness in eliminating oil from wastewater. [Display omitted] •Electrocoagulation (EC) technique emerged as a promising solution for oil removal.•Optimization of parameters, particularly for industrial applications, is presented.•Modeling, synergetic process and design of EC with electrode selection are explored.