Metal Recovery From Polluted Water Using Electrochemical Technologies

Abstract

Water is one of the most important issues of our time intertwined with global warming and population expansion. The management of water supplies and the conservation of water resources remains one of the most challenging yet exciting issues of our time. These rapidly growing industries spill out a lot of hazardous plastic waste, oil waste, chemicals waste, masonry and concrete, vegetable matter, and many more wastes in the water. It is of major concern that these industries are contaminating throughout the world. Oily sludge obtained as a waste from petroleum or refinery industries contain significant metal ions which thoroughly mix and pollute the water. Metal ions like As, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cd, and Mn are found in oily sludge of refinery industry and may harm plants, animals, and humans due to their long-term preservation and also causes groundwater contamination. These metals are recovered by electrochemical methods, which attempt to target recycling heavy metal resources with minimizing energy consumption, boost recovery efficiency, and realize the commercial application.