The removal of organic pollutants from pasta and cookie processing industrial wastewater by aluminum electrocoagulation and combined electrocoagulation/H2O2 processes were evaluated using a pilot batch reactor. Under optimal conditions of pH 4 and 18.2 mA/m(2) current density, the electrochemical method yields very effective removal of organic pollution. Treatment reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 90%, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) by 96%, total solids by 95% and fecal coliforms by 99.9%. The effect of reducing the pH of the aqueous solution with sulfuric acid on the chemical species formed and its effect on the sludge phase formation was determined. The wastewater quality was monitored using UV-vis spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry in order to characterize raw and treated wastewater. Finally, the morphology and elemental composition of the resulting sludge was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectra (EDS). (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.