This study investigates the optimization of the electrocoagulation (EC) process for the removal of complex contaminants, including cations and anions, from the Hilla River water source. A three-factor, five-level Central Composite Design (CCD) within Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to model and analyze the effects of reaction Time, Current Intensity, and Initial pH on the residual pollutant concentration (R1). The statistical model validation was highly successful for the rapid kinetic phase (0–15 min), yielding an R 2 value of 0. 9283 and an Adequate Precision of 20. 17, confirming the model's robustness and predictive capability. The ANOVA results demonstrated that both linear and quadratic terms for time and current were the most significant factors, highlighting the process's kinetic dependency on the rate of coagulant generation. Optimal conditions for achieving the maximum pollutant removal in the 0–15 min phase were found to be Time=15 min, Current=9 A, and Initial pH=8. The findings demonstrate that EC is a highly effective and rapid technology capable of substantial contaminant reduction in the complex water matrix of the Hilla River. In this research, the operating cost of pollutant removal from the mentioned effluent was attained to be about 5. 5 US/m 3 at optimal conditions.
Albarak et al. (Sun,) studied this question.