Evaluation of an electrocoagulation–bioball biofilter system for industrial laundry wastewater treatment

Muh. Asril S; Muhammad Farid Samawi; Indah Raya; Mahatma Lanuru; Paulina Taba; Muh. Asril S; Muhammad Farid Samawi; Indah Raya; Mahatma Lanuru; Paulina Taba

doi:10.3934/environsci.2026011

AIMS Environmental Science

2026, Volume 13, Issue 2: 300-315. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2026011

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Evaluation of an electrocoagulation–bioball biofilter system for industrial laundry wastewater treatment

1.
Environmental Management, Faculty of Postgraduate Programs, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
2.
Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
3.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia

Received: 30 January 2026 Revised: 23 March 2026 Accepted: 24 March 2026 Published: 27 March 2026

Background: Laundry wastewater contains a range of hazardous substances, including phosphates, surfactants, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), and TSS (To-tal Suspended Solids), which can pollute the environment. Thus, effective laundry wastewater management is crucial to reducing negative impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Objective: We aimed to analyse the effectiveness of small-scale laundry wastewater treatment using electrocoagulation technology combined with a bioball media biofilter. Methods: A quantitative experiment with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The tests were conducted on three reactors: Electrocoagulation, a bioball biofilter, and a combination of both, with measurements of physical and chemical wastewater parameters, namely TSS, BOD, COD, and phosphate. Results: The results showed that the combination of electrocoagulation and bioball biofilter technology produced a significant reduction in all parameters: TSS (82.5%), BOD (83.91%), COD (82.27%), and phosphate (97.27%) after 12 hours of treatment. The ANOVA test showed significant differences in TSS (P = 0.000) and BOD (P = 0.036), but not in COD (P = 0.290) or phosphate (P = 0.619). Conclusion: The combination of electrocoagulation and bioball biofilters is highly effective for treating laundry wastewater, achieving significant reductions in TSS, BOD, COD, and phosphate levels and meeting stricter wastewater quality standards.
- laundry wastewater,
- electrocoagulation,
- bioball biofilter,
- TSS,
- BOD,
- COD,
- phosphate,
- wastewater treatment
Citation: Muh. Asril S, Muhammad Farid Samawi, Indah Raya, Mahatma Lanuru, Paulina Taba. Evaluation of an electrocoagulation–bioball biofilter system for industrial laundry wastewater treatment[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2026, 13(2): 300-315. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2026011

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Abstract

Background: Laundry wastewater contains a range of hazardous substances, including phosphates, surfactants, BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), and TSS (To-tal Suspended Solids), which can pollute the environment. Thus, effective laundry wastewater management is crucial to reducing negative impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Objective: We aimed to analyse the effectiveness of small-scale laundry wastewater treatment using electrocoagulation technology combined with a bioball media biofilter. Methods: A quantitative experiment with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The tests were conducted on three reactors: Electrocoagulation, a bioball biofilter, and a combination of both, with measurements of physical and chemical wastewater parameters, namely TSS, BOD, COD, and phosphate. Results: The results showed that the combination of electrocoagulation and bioball biofilter technology produced a significant reduction in all parameters: TSS (82.5%), BOD (83.91%), COD (82.27%), and phosphate (97.27%) after 12 hours of treatment. The ANOVA test showed significant differences in TSS (P = 0.000) and BOD (P = 0.036), but not in COD (P = 0.290) or phosphate (P = 0.619). Conclusion: The combination of electrocoagulation and bioball biofilters is highly effective for treating laundry wastewater, achieving significant reductions in TSS, BOD, COD, and phosphate levels and meeting stricter wastewater quality standards.

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