A novel negatively charged nanofiltration membrane with improved and stable rejection of Cr (VI) and phosphate under different pH conditions

Emerging trends and future outlook on chromium removal in the lab, pilot scale, and industrial wastewater system: an updated review exploring 10 years of research

Chromium (Cr) is widely recognized as a carcinogenic metal, and numerous technologies have been studied on a lab scale to manage the pollution caused by Cr contamination in wastewater. However, the removal of Cr presents several challenges and limitations in industrial wastewater management. These issues highlight the ongoing need for research to discover more efficient methods for remediating Cr from wastewater. The proposed review summarizes the current limitations, gaps, and state-of-the-art technologies on Cr removal in industrial wastewater systems over the past 10 years. It aims to lay the groundwork for future research and innovation in Cr remediation for industrial applications. The review emphasizes that conventional physicochemical techniques are often insufficient and highlights the necessity of implementing advanced integrated systems. The limitations related to industrial scaling up are also deeply investigated. Special attention is given to differentiating research conducted at laboratory, pilot, and industrial levels. The findings reveal that limited research has been conducted on an industrial scale, with most investigations focusing on treating tannery and electroplating wastewater. A few studies have also been reported on wastewater from textile, mining, steel mills, pigments, and wood processing. Despite the existence of high-performance systems demonstrated in lab-scale studies, only a handful of treatment techniques have effectively removed Cr at an industrial scale. Nevertheless, innovative breakthroughs in advanced integrated systems show promise for improved performance in the future.

Enhanced Chromium (VI) Removal by Micron-Scale Zero-Valent Iron Pretreated with Aluminum Chloride under Aerobic Conditions

Micron-scale zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based material has been applied for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) decontamination in wastewater treatment and groundwater remediation, but the passivation problem has limited its field application. In this study, we combined aluminum chloride solution with ZVI (pcZVI-AlCl3) to enhance Cr(VI) removal behavior under aerobic conditions. The optimal pre-corrosion conditions were found to be 2.5 g/L ZVI, 0.5 mM AlCl3, and a 4 h preconditioning period. Different kinds of techniques were applied to detect the properties of preconditioned ZVI and corrosion products. The 57Fe Mössbauer spectra showed that proportions of ZVI, Fe3O4, and FeOOH in pcZVI-AlCl3 were 49.22%, 34.03%, and 16.76%, respectively. The formation of Al(OH)3 in the corrosion products improved its pHpzc (point of zero charge) for Cr(VI) adsorption. Continuous-flow experiments showed its great potential for Cr(VI) removal in field applications. The ZVI and corrosion products showed a synergistic effect in enhancing electron transfer for Cr(VI) removal. The mechanisms underlying Cr(VI) removal by pcZVI-AlCl3 included adsorption, reduction, and precipitation, and the contribution of adsorption was less. This work provides a new strategy for ZVI pre-corrosion to improve its longevity and enhance Cr(VI) removal.

Construction of UiO-66-NH2 decorated by MoS2 QDs as photocatalyst for rapid and effective visible-light driven Cr(VI) reduction

The photoactive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are good candidates for photocatalysts, but the quick electron-hole pairs recombination has greatly restricted the photocatalytic ability of MOFs. To improve the photoactivity of MOFs, MOFs-based composite materials have been extensively studied. Here, we successfully integrated MoS2 quantum dots (QDs) with UiO-66-NH2 for the first time under hydrothermal conditions. The as-prepared MoS2 QDs/UiO-66-NH2 (MS-U) had good visible light response ability (absorption edge at 445 nm), and charge separation and transfer ability, which lays the foundation for the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction. Photocatalytic studies revealed that MoS2 QDs-5/UiO-66-NH2 (MS-U-5) had superior Cr(VI) reduction activity than pure MoS2 QDs and UiO-66-NH2. MS-U-5 could remove 98% Cr(VI) at pH= 2 with visible light irradiation for 20 min, which is the fastest visible light driven Cr(VI) reduction rate among the reported MOFs-based composite photocatalysts without the presence of any cocatalysts or scavengers as far as we know. Importantly, MS-U-5 could be reused at least three times. In the end, the possible electron transfer path and mechanism of Cr(VI) reduction was also investigated.

High capacity and fast removal of Cr(vi) by alkali lignin-based poly(tetraethylene pentamine-pyrogallol) sorbent

In this work, a novel alkali lignin-based adsorption material, alkali lignin-based poly(tetraethylene pentamine-pyrogallol) (AL-PTAP), was prepared using a Mannich reaction and catechol-amine reaction for removal of Cr(vi). It was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA) dosage, pyrogallol (PL) dosage, contact time, pH, temperature and other factors on the adsorption behavior of the adsorbent were systematically investigated. These experimental data show that the adsorption behavior conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity is 769.2 mg g-1 at 303 K, which is much higher than that of alkali lignin (AL). AL-PTAP can achieve a removal rate of almost 100% for Cr(vi) solutions with a concentration of less than 90 mg L-1 at 1 min. Furthermore, the toxic Cr(vi) is partly reduced to nontoxic Cr(iii) during the adsorption process. Therefore, AL-PTAP is a fast and efficient alkali lignin-based adsorbent, which is expected to improve the utilization value of alkali lignin in Cr(vi) wastewater treatment.

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions via simultaneous reduction and adsorption by modified bimetallic MOF-derived carbon material Cu@MIL-53(Fe): Performance, kinetics, and mechanism

Cr(VI) has drawn growing concern because of its acute toxicity and strong carcinogenic properties to most organisms. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted broad interest in removing Cr(VI) as a novel porous adsorbent. In this work, a novel modified Cu@MIL-53(Fe) material and its derivatives have been successfully synthesized via solvothermal and calcination methods and applied for Cr(VI) removal. Experimental parameters, such as the amount of the added Cu, the calcination temperature, the pollutant concentrations, the pH value of solution, etc. were optimized. The Cu@MIL-53(Fe) optimized synthesis parameters were determined as a 0.5 M ratio of Cu/Fe and 800 °C of calcination temperature. The Cr(VI) removal capacities were 20.65 mg/g at 180 min and 13.35 mg/g in 15 min, and 45.55% of total chromium and 99.05% of Cr(VI) were removed at a dose of 0.5 g/L, pH = 3, 25 °C. Batch experiments revealed that the reaction process applied for Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order models most suitable with q_m = 724.6 mg/g. Additionally, Cr (VI) could be reduced to less toxic Cr(III) by Fe⁰ and Cu⁰ during redox reactions. According to further mechanism analysis, the process was primarily monolayer chemical adsorption, followed by electrostatic interaction, redox reaction co-precipitation and coordination effect, etc. A novel promising method of Cr(VI) removal from acidic water by MOFs adsorption is presented in this study.

Metallic iron (Fe0)-based materials for aqueous phosphate removal: A critical review

The discharge of excessive phosphate from wastewater sources into the aquatic environment has been identified as a major environmental threat responsible for eutrophication. It has become essential to develop efficient but affordable techniques to remove excess phosphate from wastewater before discharging into freshwater bodies. The use of metallic iron (Fe⁰) as a reactive agent for aqueous phosphate removal has received a wide attention. Fe⁰ in-situ generates positively charged iron corrosion products (FeCPs) at pH > 4.5, with high binding affinity for anionic phosphate. This study critically reviews the literature that focuses on the utilization of Fe⁰-based materials for aqueous phosphate removal. The fundamental science of aqueous iron corrosion and historical background of the application of Fe⁰ for phosphate removal are elucidated. The main mechanisms for phosphate removal are identified and extensively discussed based on the chemistry of the Fe⁰/H₂O system. This critical evaluation confirms that the removal process is highly influenced by several operational factors including contact time, Fe⁰ type, influent geochemistry, initial phosphate concentration, mixing conditions, and pH value. The difficulty in comparing independent results owing to diverse experimental conditions is highlighted. Moreover, contemporary research in progress including Fe⁰/oxidant systems, nano-Fe⁰ application, Fe⁰ material selection, desorption studies, and proper design of Fe⁰-based systems for improved phosphate removal have been discussed. Finally, potential strategies to close the loop in Fe⁰-based phosphate remediation systems are discussed. This review presents a science-based guide to optimize the efficient design of Fe⁰-based systems for phosphate removal.

Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxide Doped Activated Carbon Composites for Phosphate Removal from Synthetic Water: Adsorption and Thermodynamics Studies

Increased phosphate concentration in water bodies has led to eutrophication, and its removal is an inevitable requirement of sustainable wastewater purification systems. In this study, MgAl layered doubled hydroxide (LDH) composites doped on the surface of activated carbon (AC/MgAl LDH) with various (Mg + Al) total metal loading (5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 15 wt%) were prepared by the co-precipitation method. The influence of (Mg + Al) total metal loading onto AC was examined to remove phosphate ions from aqueous solutions. The effect of adsorption parameters, including adsorbent dosage, initial solution pH, initial phosphate concentration, contact time, and experiment temperature, were investigated via batch adsorption experiments. The adsorption results demonstrated that the phosphate adsorption capacity significantly improved with increasing the (Mg + Al) metal loading on the surface of AC. The maximum Langmuir phosphate adsorption capacity was 337.2 mg phosphate per gram of AC/MgAl-3 LDH composite (15 wt% Mg + Al) composite at pH ~6.3, 22 °C, and 1 g/L of adsorbent. The kinetic data were best fitted with the pseudo-second order model. The initial solution pH notably influenced the phosphate removal by AC/MgAl-3 LDH composite with a maximum removal at pH 2.3. According to the spent adsorbent characterization results, the dominant mechanisms of phosphate removal by AC/MgAl-3 LDH were electrostatic interactions, ion exchange, and inner-sphere complexation. The phosphate adsorption capacity was gradually increased with increasing the experiment temperature, suggesting an endothermic adsorption process. Overall, the AC/MgAl LDH composites pave the way for an effective strategy for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions.