Introduction: Endocrine disruptive compounds as a class of organic contaminants in the aquatic environment received severe attention in the last decades. The release of bisphenol A (BPA) as a hazardous organic chemical into the environment has caused high health and environmental concerns. Therefore, its removal from aquatic environments is strongly recommended. The present study deals with BPA removal efficiency from an aqueous environment using the electrocoagulation process (ECP).
Materials and Methods: The effects of parameters including BPA concentration (1-10 mg L^-1), current density (3-15 mA cm^-2), pH (4-10), and reaction time (5-30 min) on the treatment process were investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization of the ECP. The significance of the developed model was investigated by the obtained F-value and P-value.
Results: The maximum BPA removal of 98.2% was attained at pH of 8.5, BPA concentration of 3.25 mg L^-1, the current density of 12.0 mA cm^-2, and reaction time of 23 min. The significance of the developed model was confirmed by the high F-value of 46.69 and the very low P-value of < 0.0001. Furthermore, the electrical energy consumption of the process was found to be 0.308 kWh m^-3 in the optimum condition.
Conclusion: The obtained experimental results revealed that the co-precipitation and the adsorption process through the electrostatic interactions as the main removal mechanisms controlled the treatment process.