A study of Electrochemical Treatment of wastewater from a Selected Gold Mining Site At Itagunmodi,Osun State.

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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Obafemi Awolowo University
Abstract
ABSTRACT The study investigated the treatment of wastewaters from selected gold mining sites at Itagunmodi in Osun State electrochemically, with a view to developing a system that would remove selected contaminants from wastewaters effectively without losing much of the electrodes. Wastewater samples were collected twice in a month from four main ponds in October, 2015 (rainy season) and February, 2016 (dry season). The samples were collected twice during the rainy season and twice during the dry seasons making a total of sixteen (16) wastewater samples. The wastewaters collected were characterized (turbidity, solids, chloride, pH, zinc and lead) using standard procedures; the electrolysing equipment was calibrated and the electrodes used were selected based on previous studies;electrochemical treatment of the wastewater at laboratory scales and effects of selected factors (operating time, stirring speed, contact area to volume ratio and pH value) on the performance of the electrochemical treatment were evaluated using orthogonal array factorial experiment (44). Performance of the electrochemical treatment of the wastewater was based on the ability to reduce selected parameters. The results of 44orthogonal array factorial experiments were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to ascertain the effects and identify significant factors. The factors were optimized statistically using methods stated in literature. The results revealed that there was no significant difference between the outputs (expected and obtained currents; expected voltages and obtained voltages) at 95 % confidence level ( =4.96; p=0.99, p > 0.05 for current and =0.00; p=0.98, p > 0.05 for voltages). Turbidity of the wastewater samples at the different locations were between 92.51 and 95.42 NTU, pH values ranging between 7.6 and 7.8 and concentration of zinc in the wastewater was between 0.01 and 0.04 mg/l. The treatment showed that the process was capable of removing 20.42 % of the zinc, removed 99.69% of suspended solid and removed 62.02% of lead concentration. The study revealed that pH, operating time, volume to surface area ratio and stirring speed had effects on turbidity removal from the wastewater. The effect of stirring speed was significant (F = 23.22) at 95 % confidence level. The study concluded that the treatment method was able to remove the contaminants in the wastewater (turbidity, solids, pH, zinc and lead) and stirring speed, operating time, pH and surface area to volume ratio are significant factors in removing these pollutants.
Description
xviii,154 Pages
Keywords
Electrochemical Treatment, Wastewater, Gold, Itagunmodi, Osun state
Citation
Bolorundoru,K.A.(2016).A study of electrochemical treatment of wastewater from a selected gold mining site at Itagunmodi,Osun State.
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