Electrochemical Removal of Hydrocortisone from Aqueous Environments Using Aluminum Electrodes

In this work, electrochemical removal of hydrocortisone, a steroid hormone, from water using aluminum electrodes was investigated. The effects of many experimental parameters such as current density, electrolysis time, initial concentration of hydrocortisone, initial pH, electrolyte type and concentration, and distance between electrodes were studied. Moreover, the sludge formed was characterized using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The electrical energy consumption was used to evaluate the economic feasibility of the electrochemical removal process. Results showed that the use of supporting electrolyte containing chloride ions had enhanced the removal efficiency due to the indirect electro oxidation by chlorine and hypochlorite generated electrochemically. Results demonstrated that the electrochemical treatment was simple, efficient, and cost effective method for removal of hydrocortisone from aqueous environments.