مشخصات پژوهش

Discharging textile industry wastewater with high pollutant content and implementing treatment systems with minimal environmental impact are critical challenges. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the applied electrocoagulation (EC) process, to optimize the EC process and advance knowledge about the potential environmental impacts of textile wastewater treatment. The ReCiPe midpoint and endpoint (H) methods were chosen for their reliability and comprehensive scope. Accordingly, optimizing key parameters was investigated to achieve maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal using response surface methodology. The results indicated that 96.6 % COD removal was achieved under optimal conditions of pH 6, current density of 10 mA/cm2, and an operation time of 25 min. The LCA results showed that global warming (18.13 kg CO₂-eq, 40 %), terrestrial ecotoxicity (14.74 kg 1,4-DCB-eq, 33 %), and fossil resource scarcity (6.28 kg oil-eq, 14 %) were the most impacted categories by the EC process. Electricity consumption in the EC system was identified as the primary contributor to global warming, leading to 18.13 kg CO2-equivalent emissions. Additionally, using a cathode-anode switcher significantly reduced water consumption from 0.5 to 0.22 m3. Endpoint results highlighted the substantial impact of the EC process on human health (93.77 %). Sensitivity analysis revealed that a 20 % increase in electricity consumption affected all impact categories, ranging from 1.49 % to 5.52 %. The LCC analysis revealed that the largest cost burdens were associated with construction costs (31.9 %), equipment (7.3 %), and energy expenses (4.7 %). The cumulative energy demand assessment indicated that 306 MJ of energy consumption was related to electricity generation, which could be reduced by utilizing solar and renewable energy sources. In conclusion, incorporating green alternatives for energy production can be proposed as an eco-friendly soluti