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Fundamentals Theory for Removal of Toxic Metals from Waste Water

Research Article

Article Title: Fundamentals Theory for Removal of Toxic Metals from Waste Water

Author: José Refugio Parga Torres*, Esteban Sánchez Valdés, Gregorio González Zamarripa, Luis Gerardo Sánchez Chávez, Eréndira del Rocío Gamón Perales, Alma Leticia Cazares Arreguin, Jesús Ventura Valdés Flores and Luis Alberto Cabello Rangel

Published Date: December 09, 2025

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2025.64.010002

Abstract:

Twenty-five years ago, to stimulate economic growth, Mexico encouraged foreign-owned companies to build facilities, maquiladoras, along the border for production and assembly of products for export to the United States. The passage of NAFTA made it easier for U.S. companies to build these facilities and now 60% to 70% of the maquiladoras are U.S. owned. Unfortunately, as pointed out by Jose Bravo of the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, few follow U.S. or Mexican environmental law, therefore, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, hazardous waste dumps, contaminated water, and uncontrolled contamination from industrial facilities dominate life in most border towns [Schmidt [1]]. Heavy metal contamination exists in aqueous waste streams of industries, including metal plating facilities, industrial operations that involve the processing of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Some metals associated with these activities are Cd, Cr, As, Pb and Hg. This are not biodegradable and tend to accumulate in living organisms, causing various diseases and disorders. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of a novel method for the minimization of toxic metals in the wastewater from the México–U.S. border region. A very promising electrochemical treatment technique, which does not require chemical additions, is Electrocoagulation (EC). This operates on the principle that coagulation of contaminants from an aqueous medium is caused by the combined effects of electrolysis gases (H2 and O2) and the electrolytic production of cations from iron and aluminum anodes that corrode during electrolysis. This study reports on the products of EC as part of an effort to explore the parameters that can be most effectively manipulated to improve the overall process. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of electrocoagulation will allow the design of more effective wastewater treatment processes.

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