Electrocoagulation for Treatment of Emerging Biological and Chemical Contaminants
Electrocoagulation uses direct electrical current to generate metal coagulants in-situ, rather than adding a metal salt, as done in conventional coagulation. Depending on operational parameters, this technology can potentially treat a range of biological and chemical contaminants through physical sorption phenomena as well as reduction/oxidation chemistry.
This capability emerges as metal ions are released from the anode while hydrogen bubbles are produced at the cathode; additionally electrons may be transferred between chemical species during reduction/oxidation reactions. Our team is interested in electrocoagulation’s potential to treat emerging organic contaminants, including enteric viruses (and surrogate bacteriophages) and estrogenic micropollutants, as listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Contaminant Candidate List (CCL).
The CCL contaminants are subject to priority research in order to understand more about their occurrence, fate, effects, treatability, etc. to guide regulatory determinations.
This work is being conducted in collaboration with Patrick McNamara (Marquette University, Environmental Engineering).
Students involved in this project include Joe Heffron, Emily Gorsalitz Mahr, and Matt Marhefke.
RELATED GROUP PUBLICATIONS:
Mayer, B.K., Yang, Y., Gerrity, D.W., Abbaszadegan, M. 2015.
The impact of capsid proteins on virus removal and inactivation during water treatment processes. Microbiol. Insights. 8(Suppl 2):15-28..
Mayer, B.K., Ryu, H., Abbaszadegan, M. 2008.
Treatability of USEPA Contaminant Candidate List viruses: removal of coxsackievirus and echovirus using enhanced coagulation. Env. Sci. Technol. 42:18:6890-6896.
Abbaszadegan, M., Mayer, B.K., Ryu, H., Nwachuku, N. 2007.
Efficacy of removal of CCL viruses under enhanced coagulation conditions. Env. Sci. Technol. 41:3:971-977.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
NPR in Milwaukee radio coverage: How Can Electricity Make Water Safer to Drink
Marquette University news release: Marquette Receives $200,000 Federal Grant to Study Drinking Water Treatment
Marquette Wire news story: Professors Receive Grant for Contaminated Water Research