To lower the operational cost of microbubble generation by electrolysis, optimization of parameters limiting the process must be carried out for the process to be fully adopted in environmental and industrial settings. In this study, four test electrodes were used namely aluminum, iron, stainless steel, and Dimensionally Sable Anode (DSA). We identified the effects and optimized each operational parameter including NaCl concentration, current density, pH, and electrode distance to reduce the operational cost of microbubble generation. The experimental results showed that was directly related to the rate and cost of microbubble generation. Adding NaCl and narrowing the distance between electrodes caused no substantial changes to the generation rate but greatly decreased the power requirement of the process, thus reducing operational cost. Moreover, comparison among the four electrodes operating under optimum conditions revealed that aluminum was the most efficient electrode in terms of generation rate and operational cost. This study therefore presents significant data on performing costefficient microbubble generation, which can be used in various environmental and industrial applications.

Despite the low removal efficiencies reported by previous studies, electro-flotation still stands out among other microalgae removal methods for its economical and environmental benefits. To enhance removal efficiency, the important factors that limit the performance of this method must be investigated. In this study, the possible ways of increasing the removal efficiency of microalgae have been explored by investigating the effects of several important variables in electro-flotation. Eight parameters, namely flotation time, rising time, current density, pH, conductivity, electrode distance, temperature and initial concentration were evaluated using a one-parameter-at-a-time approach. Results revealed that the operational parameters that greatly affected the removal efficiency of microalgae were electro-flotation time, current density, pH, and initial concentration. The effect of conductivity, electrode distance, and temperature on removal efficiency were insignificant. However, they exhibited positive an indirect positive effect on power demand, which is nowadays considered an equally important aspect in the running of a feasible and economically efficient electro-flotation process.