Browsing by Author "Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar"

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Assessment of tannery effluents quality treated by electrocoagulation and ozonation: Physicochemical and ecotoxicological characterization
(Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2025-7-22) Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar; Marrufo-Saldaña, Liliana; Barra-Hinojosa, Julio; Buleje-Del-Carpio, Robert
Tannery effluents are characterized by their high toxicity and complex pollutant load, posing significant risks to aquatic ecosystems. Although conventional treatment processes often achieve regulatory standards for pollutant concentrations, they do not necessarily guarantee the reduction of effluent toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of tannery effluents treated by electrocoagulation (EC) and the combined electrocoagulation-ozonation (ECO) process, while analyzing the associated toxicity reduction, in order to determine the suitability of these technologies for application and ensure environmental protection of receiving water bodies. For this purpose, tannery wastewater was treated sequentially using an electrocoagulation reactor followed by an ozonation system, yielding three sample types: raw (C), electrocoagulation-treated (EC), and electrocoagulation-ozonation treated (ECO). Physicochemical parameters were measured, toxicity was assessed through bioassays with Lactuca sativa and Eisenia fetida, and chemical changes were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy.EC achieved 96.4% removal of total suspended solids (TSS), 30.9% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), and 99% of chromium, while ozonation further removed 10% of COD and 99% of sulfides. Toxicity assays indicated a reduction from 23.89 toxicity units (TUs) in the raw effluent to 8.32 TUs after EC and 11.12 TUs after ECO. The slight increase in toxicity after ozonation was associated with elevated ammoniacal nitrogen levels and the formation of new functional groups, as evidenced by the FTIR spectrum. Despite significant pollutant removal, the results highlight that treated effluents may still present residual toxicity, emphasizing the need for complementary treatment strategies to achieve true environmental safety.
Characterization of Sludge Resulting from Chemical Coagulation and Electrocoagulation of Pumping Water from Fishmeal Factories
(MDPI AG, 2023-2-13) Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar; Solari-Godiño, Armando; Cueva-Martínez, Miguel; Neyra-Ascón, Walter; Albrecht-Ruíz, Miguel
In the fishmeal industry, seawater is used to transport fish to the factories. Due to this, “pumping water” with high concentrations of organic matter is generated that is treated via chemical coagulation before letting it into the sea. The objective of this study is to characterize and compare the sludge obtained from conventional chemical coagulation and the sludge from the electrocoagulation process. A pilot electrocoagulation plant was built next to a chemical coagulation plant. The sludge obtained from both methodologies was analyzed for its proximal composition, its iron and aluminum content, and the fatty acid profile in its contained fat. Electrocoagulation was found to produce sludge with a higher concentration of lipids and ash, which indirectly confirmed that it removes more organic pollutants and salts than chemical coagulation. The contents of aluminum and iron in the sludge obtained by electrocoagulation were 4.2% and 0.025%, respectively, while those in the sludge obtained from chemical coagulation were 0.01% and 4.8%, respectively. Aluminum comes from the sacrificial electrode of the electrocoagulation tank, while iron comes from the salts used in chemical coagulation. The sum of w-3 fatty acid values (EPA + DHA) was 12.5% and 18.8% for sludges from the electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation processes, respectively, so we can assume that electrocoagulation is a more oxidizing process than chemical coagulation. Due to their high organic load, both sludges must be assessed as an alternative feed ingredient.
Combining Effluent Treatment Methods to Remove Ammonia Nitrogen from Tannery Wastewater
(Wydawnictwo Naukowe Gabriel Borowski (WNGB), 2024-12-1) Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar; Marrufo-Saldaña, Liliana; Barra-Hinojosa, Julio Alexis
This study assessed the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen from tannery wastewater by combining electrocoagulation, ozonation, and ion exchange technologies. For this purpose, an electrocoagulation reactor equipped with aluminum electrodes, an ozonation tank, and a filtration system with zeolite were employed. The electrocoagulation treatment applied the response surface methodology with a 3k factorial design with the following two factors: current intensity (I) ranging from 3 to 7A, and treatment time (t) from 10 to 30 min; the removal percentage of total suspended solids (TSS) is set as a response variable. Results indicate that the treatment time and current intensity were significant for the removal of total suspended solids TSS, at a confidence level of p < 0,05. Under these conditions, a TSS, removal efficiency of 98% was achieved. Through the electrocoagulation process, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was reduced by 58%, while in the ozonation tank, an additional 23% of COD was removed. The filtration stage demonstrated that 13X HP zeolite can exchange ions with the ammonia nitrogen from tannery wastewater, wherein a 39% removal efficiency is reached at equilibrium. Thus, the integration of various treatment methods is a viable alternative to reduce wastewater from the tannery industry. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of three methods for treating tannery wastewater. The results show that the combination of these treatments provides a more effective solution for removing the pollutant load, especially nitrogen, compared to the use of individual treatment methods alone. The study opens new perspectives for optimizing multi-stage treatment processes. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Optimizing the Reduction of Total Suspended Solids in Pump Water from Fish Factories Through Electrocoagulation using Response Surface Methodology
(Wydawnictwo Naukowe Gabriel Borowski (WNGB), 2021-6-6) Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar; Neyra-Ascón, Walter; Albrecht-Ruiz, Miguel; Ibarra-Basurto, Alonso
This study aims to optimize the removal of total suspended solids (TSS) in pump water from fish flour factories through electrocoagulation technology and to determine the effects of the main operation parameters. Pump water has high conductivity (40.1 mS), due to the presence of dissolved salts and contains high concentration of organic substances (12,360 mg/L of TSS and 520 mg/L of fats). In this study, pump water was treated in an electrocoagulation reactor with aluminum electrodes using Response Surface Methodology with a 3kfactorial design based on two factors, current intensity (I) of 8–13 A and treatment time (t) of 20–40 minutes. The percentage of TSS removed from the water was used as the response variable. The results revealed that I and t significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the process. In accordance, the optimal operational parameters for TSS removal were I = 13 A and t = 30 minutes. Using these conditions, TSS removal efficiency of 99.9% was achieved. The sewage sludge generated with these optimal process conditions indicated 19.3% of ash content, 6.2% of salt, 1.7% of aluminum, 0.3% of iron, 0.4% of potassium, 256 ppm of zinc, and 2.1% of phosphorus. Hence, the results of this study affirm that electrocoagulation can be considered as a solution for marine pollution caused by fishing industries. © 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Use of the sludge obtained from the electrocoagulation process of pumping waters of fishmeal factories for feeding Tenebrio molitor larvae
(Elsevier BV, 2023-5) Aguilar-Ascón, Edwar; Pariona-Velarde, Daniel; Loayza-Muro, Raúl; Albrecht-Ruíz, Miguel
Sludge residue from pumping water treatment obtained by electrocoagulation process (LEC) in fishmeal factories, was used as a feeding ingredient for Tenebrio molitor larvae. LEC was conditioned by three bioprocesses: fermentation with Lactobacillus casei, fermentation with Sacharomyces, and hydrolysis with pancreatin enzymatic mixture. Soybean isolate was used as a control. Larvae consuming LEC-containing diets presented a higher weight gain rate than the controls. The proximal larvae dry basis composition values of fat, ash, and protein (37.2% ± 2%, 3.9% ± 0.4%, and 50.2% ± 4.9%, respectively) did not present significant intergroup differences. LEC contained 4.2% aluminum and its conditioning through fermentation with lactic bacteria reduced its bioavailability in the larvae, with values similar to those of controls (3.9 ± 0.7 μg Al/g). The iron content in LEC-fed larvae was higher than that in the control group, while their fatty acid profile was only slightly different. These initial results with LEC, which organic material is difficult to hydrate and assimilate, suggest its suitability as a protein source and attractant for a faster growth of T. molitor larvae. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.