Ferric Chloride-Based Treatment for Soap Production Wastewater

Wastewater treatment process transforms used water into a valuable resource, offering financial benefits to sectors like soap production. Actually,  soap industry wastewater currently exceeds national discharge standards. Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions to unlock the full potential of treated wastewater, promoting sustainability and cost savings simultaneously. The present work experimentally investigated treating soap factory wastewater using coagulation-flocculation with ferric chloride (FeCl3) as a coagulant. Key water quality parameters like chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH and turbidity were monitored. The process were optimized by varying the concentration, speed, and duration of coagulation and flocculation. The optimal FeCl3 dosage significantly reduced COD from 9.95 g/L to 3.51 g/L, achieving a clear and transparent water quality. The optimal parameters were found to be 1.2 g/L FeCl3, 5 minutes coagulation at 150 rpm, 20 minutes flocculation at 30 rpm, and 30 minutes settling time.