ISSN: 2277-3754 ISO 9001:2008 Certified International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT) Volume 7, Issue 6, December 2017 DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/5W3A4 Page 16 Abstract: This is a combination of a review paper on the pollutants removal using electrocoagulation (EC) in meat and poultry processing wastewater. Experiments are conducted on the removal of pollutants from Chicken processing plant (CPP) wastewater using EC. EC is very efficient for wastewater treatment as the pollutants are easily taken in or exchanged with the anions in the interlayer. Chicken processing plant (CPP) produces large amount of wastewater containing variety of readily biodegradable organic compounds, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The possible re-use of properly treated CPP wastewater would be economic and environment friendly. In this study, we present our work on treatment of CPP wastewater using EC. Analysis of the EC-treated water for reuse in the same plant is discussed considering the U.S.EPA regulations. Two types of EC-reactors were used for this purpose. To better understand the treatment mechanism, EC-floc was also characterized using XRD, SEM-EDS, and FTIR. Index Terms— Coliform, Electrocoagulation, Pollutants, and Wastewater. I. INTRODUCTION Wastewater generated during meat and poultry processing is composed of a number of pollutants. These wastewaters constitute a variety of readily biodegradable organics. The biodegradable organics are composed of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Biodegradable are measured in terms of BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) [7]. There are a number of conventional parameters that characterize the pollutants in the wastewaters. The US’s Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 304(a) (4) defines conventional pollutant parameters to include biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), oil and grease, pH, and fecal coliform bacteria. These pollutants are regulated by U.S Environmental Protection Agency [4]. The wastewater has to be treated before it is discharged into the drainage system. EPA, 2009 [1] gives Maximum daily effluent limitations for the following regulated parameters in poultry first processing: Ammonia (as N), 8.0mg/L; BOD 5 , 26mg/L; Fecal Coliform, Maximum of 400MPN; O&G, 14mg/L and TSS, 30mg/L. Effluent limitations for meat and poultry processors are BOD 5 , 2.0g/kg; Fecal Coliform, No limitation; O&G, 1.0g/kg and TSS, 2.4g/kg. Biodegradable organics are removed by aerobic, anaerobic, lagoon, physical-chemical systems, and chemical oxidation, advanced oxidation and membrane filtration processes [7]. Aerobic or Anaerobic methods are biological processes. Physico-chemical processes include dissolved air flotation (DAF) and coagulation-flocculation (CF) units. Coagulation (using metal salts addition: FeCl 3 , Fe(SO 4 ) 3 , Al 2 (S 4 O) 3 or Ca(OH) 2 ) is a process of aggregating suspended particles to form settling flocs, whereas flocculation (using cationic, non-ionic or ionic organic polymers) is a process of agglomerating coagulated-particles into large flocs [2]. These methods have limitations in their operations. Anaerobic treatment processes require high energy consumption for aeration and high sludge. Anaerobic method of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater is often slowed or impaired due to the accumulation of suspended solids and floating fats in the reactor, which lead to a reduction in the methanogenic activity and biomass wash-out. Both biological processes require long hydraulic retention time and large reactor volumes, high biomass concentration and controlling of sludge loss, to avoid the wash-out of the sludge [3]. Even though Biological processes are effective and economical, long hydraulic retention time and large area requirements make sometimes these processes less attractive than physico-chemical treatments, which require shorter retention time. Physico-chemical treatments produce large volumes of putrefactive and bulky sludge that requires special handling and further treatment [2]. Electro-chemical techniques such as, electro flotation (EF), electrode-cantation, electro coagulation (EC), electro kinetic remediation (for contaminated soil) offer the possibility to be easily distributed, require minimum amount and number of chemicals [6]. Electrochemical processes have lower operating costs compared to the conventional process, due to the low electric current required [11]. Electrocoagulation (EC) is a promising technique for treatment of meat and poultry wastewater. The EC process has attracted a great deal of attention in treating industrial wastewaters because of its versatility and environmental compatibility. This method is characterized by simple equipment, easy operation, a shortened reactive retention period, a reduction or absence of equipment for adding chemicals, and decreased amount of precipitate or sludge which sediments rapidly. The process has been shown to be an effective and reliable technology that provides an environmentally compatible method for reducing a large variety of pollutants [3]. The purpose of this review is to understand the effects of process parameters in the treatment mechanism of Electro coagulation. Pollutants removal using electro coagulation in meat and poultry processing wastewater Daniel O. Siringi 1 , Lilian Mulimi 2 , Patrick Home 2 , Joseph Chacha 3