The Utilization of Carbon Electrodes to Reduce Dissolved Ions from Coal Stockpile Wastewater

Abstract

The advancement of science and technology plays an important role in encouraging industrial progress. Industrial progress has a positive impact on the economy. On the other hand, it has a negative impact in the form of pollution. The industrial activities include the coal mining industry. The electrolysis provides an effective way to reduce the pollutant from the wastewater through an electrochemical reaction between the cathode and anode. The purpose of this study was to examine the length of electrolysis and the amount of electric current used to reduce dissolved ions and total dissolved solids from coal stockpile wastewater. The method had used the survey of coal stockpile location and wastewater sampling, then followed by waste treatment using electrolysis. The results show the increase in electrolysis time has a positive relationship decreasing dissolved ions in the coal stockpile wastewater. The combination between 120 minutes electrolysis time and 3 A electric current showed the highest decrease in dissolved ions by an average of 1,692.3 μs/cm from the beginning before treatment of 1772 μs/cm. The highest decrease in total dissolved solids was 660.67 ppm from the beginning before treatment of 909 ppm. This decrease had occurred because the longer electrolysis time and electric current are used greater, the more dissolved ions will be electrolyzed is in line with Faraday's law.