Electrochemical removal and recovery of iron from groundwater using non-corrosive electrodes

Iron contamination in groundwater has attracted much attention from environmentalists and government agencies because it can cause many problems in human life and in industrial and agricultural activities when groundwater is directly used without any treatment. This study aims to investigate the electrochemical oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) and recovery of insoluble Fe(III) using non-corrosive graphite electrode which serves as a controllable, low-cost, low maintenance and virtually unlimited electron acceptor for Fe(II) oxidation. The lab-scale results indicated that Fe(II) removal up to 100% was obtained at an applied voltage higher than 2 V. The Fe(II) removal efficiency was linearly increased with the increase of potential supply in the range of 1–4 V in the salinity 0.5%. The Fe(II) removal rate could no longer be enhanced at the applied potential higher than 8 V in the condition without salinity. The results from SEM-EDS and XRD revealed that Fe was recovered as FeOOH by conventional filtration with a recovery efficiency of 82.7–92.1%. The electrochemical Fe(II) removal might be an alternative for the conventional method of the in situ Fe removal from groundwater. Besides, the recovered FeOOH can be used as a raw material for environmental remediation and pigment industry. •Fe(II) could be removed by electrochemical oxidation with non-corrosive electrodes.•Fe(II) removal up to 100% was obtained with voltage applied higher than 2 V.•Fe was recovered as FeOOH with recovery efficiency of 82.7–92.1%.•Fe removal and recovery could be significantly enhanced by salinity addition.