Sustainable electrocoagulation treatment of tetracycline contaminated water: coupling response surface methodology with life cycle assessment

Abstract

Tetracycline (TC), widely used in medicine and agriculture, has emerged as a persistent micropollutant in aquatic environments, posing significant risks to human health and ecosystems due to its environmental persistence and the inefficiency of conventional treatment methods. This study aimed to develop an efficient and sustainable electrocoagulation (EC) process using aluminum electrodes to remove TC from aqueous solutions. A Box–Behnken Design (BBD) combined with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize four key operational parameters, including initial pH, current intensity, inter-electrode distance, and electrolysis time. To evaluate broader sustainability, life cycle assessment (LCA) and operational cost analysis were integrated into the methodology to quantify environmental impacts and economic feasibility under optimized conditions. The developed quadratic model showed good agreement between predicted and experimental results (R 2 = 0.887), confirming the reliability of the optimization approach. TC removal efficiencies reached up to 100% under optimized operating conditions. LCA results indicated that neutral pH and low current minimized environmental burdens, with the lowest weighted total damage (~ 0.3 mPt/FU), while intensive conditions significantly increased impacts. Overall, integrating EC with RSM, LCA, and cost analysis provides a comprehensive framework for designing technically effective, environmentally sustainable, and economically feasible treatment of antibiotic-contaminated waters.

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