Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is characterized by high amounts of pollutants that are harmful to the environment when left untreated. Treatment methods for POME are necessary to reduce potential risks before discharge. Several technologies have been adopted for POME treatment. Most fall short of effectively addressing simultaneously the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the treatment. Electrocoagulation (EC) has gained traction for its cost-effectiveness and high levels of pollutant removal efficiency. This paper reviewed studies about currently applied methods and their disadvantages with emphasis on how EC is advantageous over the other methods. There are limitations in currently employed methods, some of which EC sufficiently addresses. Comparative studies revealed that EC is more efficient in terms of hydraulic retention times, straightforward operations, and the variety of pollutant types it can treat in comparison with ponding system, membrane anaerobic systems (MAS), microbial fuel cells (MFC), and supercritical water gasification (SWCG). Through analysis of treatment efficiencies, it is evident that when compared to other methods with almost the same conditions, EC is much more effective in reducing pollutants. This study also explored how EC can be further optimized in its eventual application on large-scale operations and palm oil mills around the world.
