Mechanisms of the removal of hexavalent chromium by biomaterials or biomaterial-based activated carbons

Rapid adsorptive removal of chromium from wastewater using walnut-derived biosorbents

Contamination of water resources by industrial effluents containing heavy metal ions and management of solid waste from agricultural and food industries is a serious issue. This study presents the valorization of waste walnut shells as an effective and environment-friendly biosorbent for sequestrating Cr(VI) from aqueous media. The native walnut shell powder (NWP) was chemically modified with alkali (AWP) and citric acid (CWP) to obtain modified biosorbents with abundant availability of pores as active centers, as confirmed by BET analysis. During batch adsorption studies, the process parameters for Cr(VI) adsorption were optimized at pH 2.0. The adsorption data were fitted to isotherm and kinetic models to compute various adsorption parameters. The adsorption pattern of Cr(VI) was well explained by the Langmuir model suggesting the adsorbate monolayer formation on the surface of the biosorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity, q_m, for Cr(VI) was achieved for CWP (75.26 mg/g), followed by AWP (69.56 mg/g) and NWP (64.82 mg/g). Treatment with sodium hydroxide and citric acid improved the adsorption efficiency of the biosorbent by 4.5 and 8.2%, respectively. The endothermic and spontaneous adsorption was observed to trail the pseudo-second-order kinetics under optimized process parameters. Thus, the chemically modified walnut shell powder can be an eco-friendly adsorbent for Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions.

Heavy Metal Contamination in the Aquatic Ecosystem: Toxicity and Its Remediation Using Eco-Friendly Approaches

Urbanization and industrialization are responsible for environmental contamination in the air, water, and soil. These activities also generate large amounts of heavy metal ions in the environment, and these contaminants cause various types of health issues in humans and other animals. Hexavalent chromium, lead, and cadmium are toxic heavy metal ions that come into the environment through several industrial processes, such as tanning, electroplating, coal mining, agricultural activities, the steel industry, and chrome plating. Several physical and chemical methods are generally used for the heavy metal decontamination of wastewater. These methods have some disadvantages, including the generation of secondary toxic sludge and high operational costs. Hence, there is a need to develop a cost-effective and eco-friendly method for the removal of heavy metal ions from polluted areas. Biological methods are generally considered eco-friendly and cost-effective. This review focuses on heavy metal contamination, its toxicity, and eco-friendly approaches for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated sites.

Signaling and Detoxification Strategies in Plant-Microbes Symbiosis under Heavy Metal Stress: A Mechanistic Understanding

Plants typically interact with a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and other organisms, in their above- and below-ground parts. In the biosphere, the interactions of plants with diverse microbes enable them to acquire a wide range of symbiotic advantages, resulting in enhanced plant growth and development and stress tolerance to toxic metals (TMs). Recent studies have shown that certain microorganisms can reduce the accumulation of TMs in plants through various mechanisms and can reduce the bioavailability of TMs in soil. However, relevant progress is lacking in summarization. This review mechanistically summarizes the common mediating pathways, detoxification strategies, and homeostatic mechanisms based on the research progress of the joint prevention and control of TMs by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-plant and Rhizobium-plant interactions. Given the importance of tripartite mutualism in the plant-microbe system, it is necessary to further explore key signaling molecules to understand the role of plant-microbe mutualism in improving plant tolerance under heavy metal stress in the contaminated soil environments. It is hoped that our findings will be useful in studying plant stress tolerance under a broad range of environmental conditions and will help in developing new technologies for ensuring crop health and performance in future.

Design of a Fixed-Bed Column with Vegetal Biomass and Its Recycling for Cr (VI) Treatment

The aim of this work is to design a fixed-bed column with vegetal biomass of Eichhornia crassipes and the process of recycling it for treatment via the adsorption of water loaded with chromium (VI). In the first stage, the relationship between the fixed-bed density and the microparticle density is calculated, giving a model for the design of the fixed bed. Using this model, two systems for the treatment of Cr (VI)-contaminated water were designed and built. The vegetable biomass at three particle diameters of 0.212 mm, 0.30 mm and 0.45 mm was evaluated in the removal of Cr (VI) from water using the designed fixed-bed systems, giving the best removal of Cr (VI) with the lowest size particles and allowing the validation of the proposed model with the Thomas model. The incorporation of iron into the biomass allowed for the treatment of near 2.0 L of polluted solution, removing around 90% of Cr (VI), while it was only possible to treat nearly 1.5 L when using raw biomass, removing around 80% of Cr (VI). The recycling of the biomass was achieved via the elution of Cr (VI) with EDTA, permitting the reuse of the material for more than five treatment cycles.

Chromium Adsorption from Aqueous Solution onto Dowex Retardion 11A8 and Amberlite IRA 743 Free Base: An Insight into the Mechanism

Background:

The presence of heavy metal contaminants such as chromium, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and copper have become a major issue towards human health. Chromium is extremely toxic to living organisms as it acts as carcinogen and mutagen. High concentration of chromium may cause detrimental effects to human health in the long term. The mutagenic and carcinogenic properties, included Cr(VI) in the group “A” of human carcinogens. Cr(VI) can easily penetrate into the cell wall and exert its noxious effect due to its mobility in the environment. Cr(VI) is nearly 100 times more toxic than Cr(III). Cr(VI) causes skin and stomach irritation or ulceration, damage to liver, kidney ulceration, damage to nerve tissue, and long-term exposure above the maximum contaminated level even led to death. Therefore, it is essential to remove chromium from wastewater prior to its final discharge into the environment. This study attempts to explore the mechanism by which chromium ions had been adsorbed by these two ion exchange resins and will be extended further to investigate the uptake mechanism of other metal ions within future research.

Methods:

Equilibrium isotherms were obtained by contacting 20 mL of aqueous metal ion solution with different amounts of adsorbents in a shaker bath controlled at 25±0.5oC. The initial concentration of metal ion in the aqueous solution was varied between 40-100 mg L -1 . Equilibrium isotherms for the above metal ion were generated at pH 3, 4 and 5. The pH of the solution was varied between pH 3 to 5 using appropriate doses of buffer. Preliminary runs exhibited that the adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 1–1.30 h of contact time for both the tested resins. The adsorbents used were DOWEX and AMB resins. For estimation of adsorption enthalpy, adsorption equilibrium experiments were performed at temperatures 30, 40 and 55oC. The amount of metal ion adsorbed per unit mass of the adsorbent (mg g-1) was calculated as q= V∆C/W, where ∆C is the change in solute concentration (mg L -1 ), V is the solution volume (L) and W is the weight of the adsorbent (g). Experiments on adsorption kinetics were performed in a stirred constant volume vessel. The liquid volume was 100 cm3 with 10g of adsorbent sample. The initial concentration of metal ion was 80 mg L -1 at 25±0.5oC. The aqueous phase concentration was examined at equal time intervals till equilibration.

Results:

The electrostatic interaction of Cr(VI) with the positively charged nitrogen atom of the functional groups and chelation of Cr(III) with the electron donor groups were the possible mechanistic pathways through which the adsorption had occurred onto both the ion-exchange resins. Though electrostatic interaction was the predominant interaction in both the resins for the adsorption of anionic Cr(VI) species, but it had been observed that the mechanism of Cr(VI) adsorption was not only “anionic adsorption” but also the complexation of the reduced Cr(III) with the ammonium group of the resins. Thus, “adsorption- coupled reduction” was the main mechanism for the uptake of chromium ions.

Conclusion:

The present work demonstrated that both resins could effectively adsorb Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solution. More adsorption had taken place onto DOWEX compared to AMB. The adsorption characteristics of both the resins were studied under various equilibrium and thermodynamic conditions which proposed the spontaneous nature of the process. The adsorption capacities of both resins were influenced by the pH of the medium and exhibited high adsorption performances at pH 3. The mechanism of adsorption onto the two resins studied here was anionic adsorption of Cr (VI) and chelation of Cr (III) ion. The Cr(III) ions might have formed because of the reduction of Cr(VI) by the electron donor atoms present in the resins and interacted with the adsorbent surface. FTIR spectra also supported the interaction of chromium ions with functional groups present in the resin structures. Thus chromium uptake by DOWEX and AMB resins was mainly governed by “adsorption- coupled reduction”. Desorption studies revealed that regeneration of both the ionexchange resins are possible at basic pH and can be reused. However, the application of these two ion-exchange resins using real effluent is under consideration.

Cationic surface-modified regenerated nanocellulose hydrogel for efficient Cr(VI) remediation

Because nanocellulose has a large specific surface area and abundant hydroxyl functional groups due to its unique nanomorphology, interest increases as an eco-friendly water treatment material. However, the distinctive properties of nanocellulose, which exists in a dispersion state, strongly hamper its usage in practical water treatment processes. Additionally, nanocellulose shows low performance in removing anionic pollutants because of its anionic characteristics. In an effort to address this challenge, regenerated cellulose (RC) hydrogel was fabricated through cellulose's dissolution and regeneration process using an eco-friendly aqueous solvent system. Subsequently, a crosslinking process was carried out to introduce the cationic functional groups to the RC surface PEI coating (P/RC). As a result, the PEI surface cationization process improved the mechanical rigidity of RC and showed an excellent Cr(VI) removal capacity of 578 mg/g. In addition, the prepared P/RC maintained more than 90% removal efficiency even after seven reuses.

An experimental approach for the utilization of tannery sludge-derived Bacillus strain for biosorptive removal of Cr(VI)-contaminated wastewater

Biosorption efficacy of Bacillus strain DPAML065, isolated from the tannery sludge, was appraised for the removal of toxic hexavalent chromium (VI) ions from synthetic wastewater. Effects of the process variable on biosorbent surface by variation in pH, metal Cr(VI) concentration and retention time were examined using batch experiments. The isolated Bacillus strain biosorbent was studied for its morphology and surface chemistry through FE-SEM, EDX and FTIR. It discloses that, the reduction mechanism of Cr(VI) during the process is mainly attributed to precipitation in addition to the functional groups (such as -COOH, -OH, C-O, P=O) present on the cellular matrix of Bacillus. Biochemical tests and 16s rRNA sequencing were also performed to identify the biosorbent at the genus level. A 95% Cr(VI) removal efficiency was procured by Bacillus strain DPAML065 biosorbent at pH 6, incubation period 24 h, 80 mg/L initial feed concentration and operational temperature 35 °C. Equilibrium behaviour of chromium binding follows the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.968) with an adsorption capacity of 106.38 mg/g. Kinetic modelling disseminates that biosorption of Cr(VI) ions by Bacillus strain DPAML065 obeyed pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.984) rather than the pseudo-first-order model. Concisely, the results indicate that the Bacillus strain DPAML065 is a potential, economically feasible and eco-friendly biosorbent which can be effectively used for removal of chromium (VI) from wastewater.

Characteristics of natural biopolymers and their derivative as sorbents for chromium adsorption: a review

Abstract

Chromium is widely used in industry, and improper disposal of wastewater and industrial residues containing excessive chromium can contaminate water and soil, endangering both environmental and human health. Natural biopolymers and their derivatives have been investigated for removal of chromium (Cr) from wastewater. Cellulose, lignin, tannin, chitin, chitosan, and polypeptides are abundant in nature, and have high potential as adsorbents due to their easy access, low cost, and the recyclability of the captured heavy metals. In order to improve their mechanical strength, recyclability, specific surface area, binding site number, and adsorption rate as adsorbents, native materials have also been modified. This review discusses the source of chromium contamination and the main species of interest, as well as their toxicity. The structures of the aforementioned biopolymers were analyzed, and the adsorption mechanism of chromium and the main influencing factors on this process are discussed. The modification methods of various adsorbents and their adsorption effects on chromium are also detailed, and the developmental direction of research on the use of biopolymer adsorption remediation to control chromium contamination is discussed.

Graphical abstract

Estimation of equilibrium times and maximum capacity of adsorption of heavy metals by E. crassipes (review)

Cellulose emerges as an alternative for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals due to its abundant biomass and its proven potential in the adsorption of pollutants. The aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes is an option as raw material in the contribution of cellulose due to its enormous presence in contaminated wetlands, rivers, and lakes. The efficiency in the removal of heavy metals is due to the cation exchange between the hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups present in the biomass of E. crassipes with heavy metals. Through different chemical and physical transformations of the biomass of E. crassipesThe objective of this review article is to provide a discussion on the different mechanisms of adsorption of the biomass of E. crassipes to retain heavy metals and dyes. In addition to estimating equilibrium, times through kinetic models of adsorption and maximum capacities of this biomass through equilibrium models with isotherms, in order to design one biofilter for treatment systems on a larger scale represented the effluents of a real industry.

Estimation of equilibrium times and maximum capacity of adsorption of heavy metals by E. crassipes (review)

Cellulose emerges as an alternative for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals due to its abundant biomass and its proven potential in the adsorption of pollutants. The aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes is an option as raw material in the contribution of cellulose due to its enormous presence in contaminated wetlands, rivers, and lakes. The efficiency in the removal of heavy metals is due to the cation exchange between the hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups present in the biomass of E. crassipes with heavy metals. Through different chemical and physical transformations of the biomass of E. crassipesThe objective of this review article is to provide a discussion on the different mechanisms of adsorption of the biomass of E. crassipes to retain heavy metals and dyes. In addition to estimating equilibrium, times through kinetic models of adsorption and maximum capacities of this biomass through equilibrium models with isotherms, in order to design one biofilter for treatment systems on a larger scale represented the effluents of a real industry.

Hourglass-type polyoxometalate-based crystalline materials as efficient cooperating photocatalysts for the reduction of Cr(vi) and oxidation of dyes

Hourglass-type polyoxometalate-based crystalline materials exhibit efficient photocatalytic activities towards simultaneous photocatalytic Cr(vi) reduction and organic MB oxidation.

Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium onto layered double hydroxides-based adsorbents: A systematic in-depth review

An attempt has been made in this review to provide some insights into the possible adsorption mechanisms of hexavalent chromium onto layered double hydroxides-based adsorbents by critically examining the past and present literature. Layered double hydroxides (LDH) nanomaterials are typical dual-electronic adsorbents because they exhibit positively charged external surfaces and abundant interlayer anions. A high positive zeta potential value indicates that LDH has a high affinity to Cr(VI) anions in solution through electrostatic attraction. The host interlayer anions (i.e., Cl^-, NO₃^-, SO₄^2-, and CO₃^2-) provide a high anion exchange capacity (53-520 meq/100 g) which is expected to have an excellent exchangeable capacity to Cr(VI) oxyanions in water. Regarding the adsorption-coupled reduction mechanism, when Cr(VI) anions make contact with the electron-donor groups in the LDH, they are partly reduced to Cr(III) cations. The reduced Cr(III) cations are then adsorbed by LDH via numerous interactions, such as isomorphic substitution and complexation. Nonetheless, the adsorption-coupled reduction mechanism is greatly dependent on: (1) the nature of divalent and trivalent salts utilized in LDH preparation, and the types of interlayer anions (i.e., guest intercalated organic anions), and (3) the adsorption experiment conditions. The low Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of LDH (1.80-179 m²/g) suggests that pore filling played an insignificant role in Cr(VI) adsorption. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of LDH (Q^o_max) toward Cr(VI) was significantly affected by the natures of used inorganic salts and synthetic methods of LDH. The Q^o_max values range from 16.3 mg/g to 726 mg/g. Almost all adsorption processes of Cr(VI) by LDH-based adsorbent occur spontaneously (ΔG° <0) and endothermically (ΔH° >0) and increase the randomness (ΔS° >0) in the system. Thus, LDH has much potential as a promising material that can effectively remove anion pollutants, especially Cr(VI) anions in industrial wastewater.

Efficient Removal of Cr(VI) from Water by Biochar and Activated Carbon Prepared through Hydrothermal Carbonization and Pyrolysis: Adsorption-Coupled Reduction Mechanism

Three carbonaceous porous materials (biochar and activated carbon) were developed from the Tectona grandis tree sawdust. The applied process of two-stage preparation included pre-treatment through hydrothermal carbonization at 190 °C and subsequent pyrolysis at 800 °C. Two chemical activating agents (K2CO3 and ZnCl2) were used to prepared activated carbons (K2CO3-AC and ZnCl2-AC), respectively. They were characterized by textural property, morphology, and surface element components and applied to remove Cr(VI) from solution at various solution pH values and initial Cr(VI) concentrations. Results showed that the textural parameters (SBET and VTotal) of the prepared material were 1757 m2/g and 1.027 cm3/g for Zn-Cl2-AC, 1013 m2/g and 0.418 cm3/g for K2CO3-AC, and 792 m2/g and 0.345 cm3/g for biochar. The adsorption process reached the highest efficiency at pH 3.0. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity indicated the decreasing order: ZnCl2-AC (127 mg/g) > K2CO3-AC (103 mg/g) > biochar (83.5 mg/g). The removal mechanism of Cr(V) from solution was regarded as an adsorption-coupled reduction, namely (1) partial reduction of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) during the adsorption process and (2) adsorption of the Cr(VI) anions through electrostatic attraction and pore filling and the reduced Cr(III) cations through complexation, Cπ–cation interaction, cation exchange, and pore filing. Therefore, the prepared biochar and activated carbon can server as promising adsorbents to efficiently remove both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from water.

A Novel Nitrogen Enriched Hydrochar Adsorbents Derived from Salix Biomass for Cr (VI) Adsorption

Hydrochars were prepared from Salix by hydrothermal carbonization, and characterized by FT-IR, ¹³C NMR, XPS, UV-vis, TG, SEM and BET techniques. The results showed that the hydrochars with molecular sieve-type open pore structure contained numbers of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups, which benefited the adsorption and diffusion of adsorbent Cr (VI). The hydrochar obtained from 26 h reaction (HC-26) was indicated an excellent adsorbent compared to the commercial activated carbon, and its maximum removal efficiency for Cr (VI) reaches up to 99.84% at pH 1. Langmuir´s model is well fitted the experimental equilibrium adsorption data of total Cr. The bath experiment results showed that Cr (VI) could be removed rapidly in the first 300 min. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics process of HC-26 could be described by pseudo-second-order model. Based on the above results, HC-26 could be acted as a potential efficient adsorbent for removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution.

Mistakes and inconsistencies regarding adsorption of contaminants from aqueous solutions: A critical review

In recent years, adsorption science and technology for water and wastewater treatment has attracted substantial attention from the scientific community. However, the number of publications containing inconsistent concepts is increasing. Many publications either reiterate previously discussed mistakes or create new mistakes. The inconsistencies are reflected by the increasing publication of certain types of article in this field, including "short communications", "discussions", "critical reviews", "comments", "letters to the editor", and "correspondence (comment/rebuttal)". This article aims to discuss (1) the inaccurate use of technical terms, (2) the problem associated with quantities for measuring adsorption performance, (3) the important roles of the adsorbate and adsorbent pK_a, (4) mistakes related to the study of adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics, (5) several problems related to adsorption mechanisms, (6) inconsistent data points in experimental data and model fitting, (7) mistakes in measuring the specific surface area of an adsorbent, and (8) other mistakes found in the literature. Furthermore, correct expressions and original citations of the relevant models (i.e., adsorption kinetics and isotherms) are provided. The authors hope that this work will be helpful for readers, researchers, reviewers, and editors who are interested in the field of adsorption studies.

Removal of elevated level of chromium in groundwater by the fabricated PANI/Fe3O4 nanocomposites

In this work, we report the reduction of chromium concentration in the polluted groundwater samples from Madurai Kamaraj University area, India, where the dissolved salts in groundwater are reported as serious health hazards for its inhabitants. The water samples have intolerable amounts of total dissolved solids (TDS) and chromium is a prominent pollutant among them. Chromium reduction was achieved by treating the polluted groundwater with PANI/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites synthesized by in situ polymerization method. Further experimentation showed that the nanocomposites exhibit better chromium removal characteristics upon increasing the aniline concentration during the synthesis. We were able to reduce chromium concentration in the samples from 0.295 mg L^-1 to a tolerable amount of 0.144 mg L^-1. This work is expected to open doors for chromium-free groundwater in various regions of India, when improved to an industrial scale.

Activated charcoal mediated purification of Yellow Sodium Sulphate: a green process to utilize a hazardous by-product of the leather chemical industry

Activated charcoal assisted a green and sustainable recovery of highly pure sodium sulphate and Cr-residue from yellow sodium sulphate, a hazardous by-product of the leather chemical industry.

Biosorption and bioaccumulation of chromate from aqueous solution by a newly isolated Bacillus mycoides strain 200AsB1

The newly isolatedBacillus mycoidesstrain 200AsB1 is efficient in Cr⁶⁺removalviasurface adsorption and cell accumulation.

Improving abiotic reducing ability of hydrothermal biochar by low temperature oxidation under air

Oxidized hydrothermal biochar was prepared by hydrothermal carbonization of Spartina alterniflora biomass (240°C for 4h) and subsequent oxidization (240°C for 10min) under air. Oxidized hydrochar achieved a Fe(III) reducing capacity of 2.15mmol/g at pH 2.0 with 120h, which is 1.2 times higher than un-oxidized hydrochar. Low temperature oxidization increases the contents of carboxyl and carbonyl groups on hydrochar surface. It is supposed that carboxyl groups provide bonding sites for soluble Fe species and carbonyl groups are responsible for Fe(3+) reduction. A Fenton-like process was established with Fe(2+) replaced by oxidized hydrochar and tested for methylene blue (MB) decoloration. Oxidized hydrochar achieved a MB decolorization (200mg/L, pH 7.0) rate of 99.21% within 3h and demonstrates prominent prevail over H2O2 absent control test. This study reveals low temperature oxidization is an effective way to improve and restore abiotic reducing ability of hydrochar.

Reduction of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) by Spirulina dead biomass in aqueous solution: kinetic studies

Microalga species are potential scavengers of heavy metals. The active functional groups of a number of biomaterials are capable to detoxify Cr(VI) to Cr(III). A 2nd order kinetic model was developed in terms of concentration of protonated acidic groups of Spirulina sp. biomass for the reduction of Cr(VI) into Cr(III). Cr(VI) reduction reaction grounded on the concentration of functional groups was validated over a broad range of pH, temperature and anionic strength. Lower pH favoured Cr(VI) reduction reaction and the experimental results well fitted to the kinetic model. The overall rate constant, kt, decreased logarithmically from 22.7 to 2.8 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ with rise of pH from 0.5 to 6.0. Whereas, k(t) increased nearly by 23% with elevation temperature from 25 to 45 °C. Higher concentration (>0.235 mM) of background anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻) was resulted in decreases in k(t) values. The rate constant expression developed can be employed to quantify Cr(VI) reduction into Cr(III) using Spirulina biomass.

Preparation and characterization of La(III) encapsulated silica gel/chitosan composite and its metal uptake studies

Lanthanum loaded silica gel/chitosan composite (LaSiCS) was prepared by mixing silica gel, LaCl(3) · 7H(2)O and chitosan which was then cross-linked with glutaraldhyde. The LaSiCS composite was characterized using FT-IR, SEM-EDAX, XRD and BET. The adsorption of chromium(VI) ions onto LaSiCS composite has been investigated. The LaSiCS composite was found to have excellent chromium adsorption capacity than the silica gel/chitosan composite (SiCS), silica gel (Si) and chitosan (CS). The sorption experiments were carried out in batch mode to optimize various parameters viz., contact time, pH, initial chromium ion concentration, co-ions and temperature that influence the sorption. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were applied to describe isotherm constants. Equilibrium data agreed very well with the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the nature of chromium sorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The LaSiCS composite removes chromium by electrostatic adsorption coupled reduction/ion-exchange.

Removal of hexavalent Cr by coconut coir and derived chars--the effect of surface functionality

The Cr(VI) removal by coconut coir (CC) and chars obtained at various pyrolysis temperatures were evaluated. Increasing the pyrolysis temperature resulted in an increased surface area of the chars, while the corresponding content of oxygen-containing functional groups of the chars decreased. The Cr(VI) removal by CC and CC-derived chars was primarily attributed to the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by the materials and the extent and rate of the Cr(VI) reduction were determined by the oxygen-containing functional groups in the materials. The contribution of pure Cr(VI) adsorption to the overall Cr(VI) removal became relatively significant for the chars obtained at higher temperatures. Accordingly, to develop a cost-effective method for removing Cr(VI) from water, the original CC is more advantageous than the carbonaceous counterparts because no pyrolysis is required for the application and CC has a higher content of functional groups for reducing Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III).

Characteristics and mechanisms of hexavalent chromium removal by biochar from sugar beet tailing

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions using biochar from sugar beet tailing (SBT) was investigated as a function of pH, contact time, and biochar mass via batch experiments. The surface characteristics of SBT biochar before and after Cr(VI) sorption was investigated with scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies showed that most of the Cr bound to SBT biochar was Cr(III). These results indicated that the electrostatic attraction of Cr(VI) to positively charged biochar surface, reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) ion, and complexation between Cr(III) ion and SBT's function groups were probably responsible for Cr(VI) removal by SBT biochar. An initial solution with a pH of 2.0 was most favorable for Cr(VI) removal. The sorption process can be described by the pseudo-second order equation and Langmuir isotherm. The maximum sorption capacity for Cr(VI) was 123 mg/g under an acidic medium, which was comparable to other low-cost sorbents.

Modeling and evaluation on removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous systems using fixed bed column

Removal of hexavalent chromium by xanthated chitosan was investigated in a packed bed up-flow column. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of important design parameters such as bed height and flow rate. At a bed height of 20 cm and flow rate of 5 mL min(-1), the metal-uptake capacity of xanthated chitosan and plain chitosan flakes for hexavalent chromium was found to be 202.5 and 130.12 mg g(-1) respectively. The bed depth service time (BDST) model was used to analyze the experimental data. The computed sorption capacity per unit bed volume (N(0)) was 4.6 ± 0.3 and 78.3 ± 2.9 g L(-1) for plain and xanthated flakes respectively at 10% breakthrough concentration. The rate constant (K(a)) was recorded as 0.0507 and 0.0194 L mg(-1)h(-1) for plain and xanthated chitosan respectively. In flow rate experiments, the results confirmed that the metal uptake capacity and the metal removal efficiency of plain and xanthated chitosan decreased with increasing flow rate. The Thomas model was used to fit the column sorption data at different flow rates and model constants were evaluated. The column was successfully applied for the removal of hexavalent chromium from electroplating wastewater. Five hundred bed volumes of electroplating wastewater were treated in column experiments using this adsorbent, reducing the concentrations of hexavalent chromium from 10 mg L(-1) to 0.1 mg L(-1).

Sorption of chromium(VI) using modified forms of chitosan beads

Modified forms of chitosan beads were prepared and used for chromium removal from the aqueous solution. The prepared chitosan beads viz., protonated chitosan beads (PCB), carboxylated chitosan beads (CCB) and grafted chitosan beads (GCB) possess enhanced chromium sorption capacities (SCs) of 3239, 3647 and 4057 mg/kg respectively than the raw chitosan beads (CB) which possess the SC of 1298 mg/kg with a minimum contact time of 10min. The sorption experiments were carried out in batch mode to optimize various influencing parameters viz., contact time, pH, common ions and temperature. The sorbents were characterized by FTIR and SEM with EDAX analysis. The modified chitosan beads remove chromium by means of electrostatic adsorption coupled reduction and complexation. The adsorption data was fitted with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The calculated values of thermodynamic parameters indicate the nature of chromium sorption. A field trial was carried out with water collected from a nearby industrial area.

Removal of hexavalent chromium from acidic aqueous solutions using rice straw-derived carbon

This study evaluates the removal of Cr(VI) from water by carbon derived from the burning of rice straw. Rice straw was burned in the air to obtain rice carbon (RC), and then the removal of Cr(VI) by RC was investigated under various pHs and ionic strengths. After the experiments, the oxidation state of Cr bound to RC was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed that Cr bound to RC was predominately in the trivalent form. The results showed that upon reacting with RC, Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), which was either adsorbed on RC or released back into solution. The extent and rate of Cr(VI) removal increased with decreasing solution pH because the Cr(VI) adsorption and the subsequent reduction of adsorbed Cr(VI) to Cr(III) both occur preferentially at low pH. The minimal effect of ionic strength on the rates of Cr(VI) removal and Cr(III) adsorption indicated specific interactions between Cr(VI)/Cr(III) and their surface binding sites on RC. These results suggest that rice straw-based carbon may be effectively used at low pH as a substitute for activated carbon for the treatment of Cr(VI) contaminated water.

Fixed-bed column study for hexavalent chromium removal and recovery by short-chain polyaniline synthesized on jute fiber

Fixed-bed column studies were conducted to evaluate performance of a short-chain polymer, polyaniline, synthesized on the surface of jute fiber (PANI-jute) for the removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in aqueous environment. Influent pH, column bed depth, influent Cr(VI) concentrations and influent flow rate were variable parameters for the present study. Optimum pH for total chromium removal was observed as 3 by electrostatic attraction of acid chromate ion (HCrO(4)(-)) with protonated amine group (NH(3)(+)) of PANI-jute. With increase in column bed depth from 40 to 60 cm, total chromium uptake by PANI-jute increased from 4.14 to 4.66 mg/g with subsequent increase in throughput volume from 9.84 to 12.6L at exhaustion point. The data obtained for total chromium removal were well described by BDST equation till 10% breakthrough. Adsorption rate constant and dynamic bed capacity at 10% breakthrough were observed as 0.01 L/mgh and 1069.46 mg/L, respectively. Adsorbed total chromium was recovered back from PANI-jute as non-toxic Cr(III) after ignition with more than 97% reduction in weight, minimizing the problem of solid waste disposal.

Influence of cationic surfactant on adsorption of Cr(VI) onto activated carbon

The effect of a cationic surfactant on the adsorption of Cr(VI) on activated carbon was investigated using cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). At a concentration below the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of CPC, the adsorption of CPC and Cr(VI) reached equilibrium within 60 min, while it took 180 min at the concentration above CMC. CPC decreased the adsorption rate of Cr(VI) and increased the adsorption amount of Cr(VI) onto activated carbon. To analyze adsorption phenomena of Cr(VI), adsorption kinetic and isotherm were used and fitted well with the pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir adsorption model, respectively. CPC introduced a cationic functional group on the surface of activated carbon and provided an adsorption site for Cr(VI).

Removal of trivalent chromium from water using low-cost natural diatomite

Trivalent chromium was removed from the artificial wastewater using low-cost diatomite in batch and continuous systems. In batch system, four different sizes and five different amount of sorbent were used. The effect of the temperature on sorption was evaluated with using three different temperatures. As a result of the experiments, 85% of the trivalent chromium was removed from the wastewater in conditions of using 1.29mm grain material at 30 degrees C temperature for 60min in batch system but chromium removal was 82% at 30 degrees C temperature for 22min and 97% from the wastewater at 30 degrees C temperature for 80min in continuous system. Also, the equilibrium adsorption isotherms have been analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich models. The Langmuir isotherms have the highest correlation coefficients. Langmuir adsorption isotherm constants corresponding to adsorption capacity, q0, were found to be 28.1, 26.5 and 21.8mg Cr3+/g diatomite at 15, 30 and 45 degrees C, respectively. Adsorption process was an exothermic process as a result of thermodynamic parameters calculations. The kinetic data of the sorption showed that the pseudo second-order equation was the more appropriate, which indicate that the intraparticle diffusion is the rate-limiting factor.

Waste materials for activated carbon preparation and its use in aqueous-phase treatment: a review

Commercial activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for the removal of micropollutants from the aqueous phase; however, its widespread use is restricted due to high associated costs. To decrease treatment costs, attempts have been made to find inexpensive alternative activated carbon (AC) precursors, such as waste materials. Some reviews report the use of waste materials for the preparation of AC; however, these studies are restricted to either type of wastes, preparation procedures, or specific aqueous-phase applications. The present work reviews and evaluates literature dedicated both to the preparation of AC by recycling different types of waste materials and also to its application in various aqueous-phase treatments. It is clear that conventional (from agriculture and wood industry) and non-conventional (from municipal and industrial activities) wastes can be used to prepare AC, that can be applied in various aqueous treatment processes, namely to remove organic pollutants, dyes, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals. Moreover, high surface areas can be obtained using either physical or chemical activation; however, combined treatments might enhance the surface properties of the adsorbent, therefore increasing its adsorption capacity. It is evident from the revision made that AC prepared from both conventional and non-conventional wastes might effectively compete with the commercial ones. This happens mostly when the activation procedures are optimized considering both the raw material used to produce the carbons and the contaminants to be removed.