Waste Fe(III)/Cr(III) hydroxide as adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution and chromium plating industry wastewater

Fe(III)/Cr(III) hydroxide, a waste material from the fertilizer industry, has been used for the adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution, over a range of initial metal ion concentrations (5-30 mg litre(-1)), agitation times (1-180 min), adsorbent dosages (100-1200 mg per 50 ml), temperatures (24, 29 and 38 degrees C) and pH values (4.5-10). The adsorption of Cr(VI) increased with the initial concentration of Cr(VI) and with temperature. The process of uptake follows both the Langmuir and the Freundlich isotherm models. The applicability of Lagergren and empirical kinetic models has also been investigated. Almost quantitative removal of Cr(VI) at 10 mg litre(-1) in a 50-ml solution by 500 mg of adsorbent was found at an equilibrium pH of 5.6. The efficiency of chromium removal was also tested using wastewater from the chromium plating industry.     

Chromium species behaviour in the activated sludge process

The purpose of this research was to compare trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) removal by activated sludge and to investigate whether Cr(VI) reduction and/or Cr(III) oxidation occurs in a wastewater treatment system. Chromium removal by sludge harvested from sequencing batch reactors, determined by a series of batch experiments, generally followed a Freundlich isotherm model. Almost 90% of Cr(III) was adsorbed on the suspended solids while the rest was precipitated at pH 7.0. On the contrary, removal of Cr(VI) was minor and did not exceed 15% in all experiments under the same conditions. Increase of sludge age reduces Cr(III) removal, possibly because of Cr(III) sorption on slime polymers. Moreover, the decrease of suspended solids concentration and the acclimatization of biomass to Cr(VI) reduced the removal efficiency of Cr(III). Batch experiments showed that Cr(III) cannot be oxidized to Cr(VI) by activated sludge. On the contrary, Cr(VI) reduction is possible and is affected mainly by the initial concentration of organic substrate, which acts as electron donor for Cr(VI) reduction. Initial organic substrate concentration equal to or higher than 1000 mgl(-1) chemical oxygen demand permitted the nearly complete reduction of 5 mgl(-1) Cr(VI) in a 24-h batch experiment. Moreover, higher Cr(VI) reduction rates were obtained with higher Cr(VI) initial concentrations, expressed in mg Cr(VI) g(-1) VSS, while decrease of suspended solids concentration enhanced the specific Cr(VI) reduction rate.     

Cr(VI) removal from synthetic wastewater using coconut shell charcoal and commercial activated carbon modified with oxidizing agents and/or chitosan

In this study, the technical feasibility of coconut shell charcoal (CSC) and commercial activated carbon (CAC) for Cr(VI) removal is investigated in batch studies using synthetic electroplating wastewater. Both granular adsorbents are made up of coconut shell (Cocos nucifera L.), an agricultural waste from local coconut industries. Surface modifications of CSC and CAC with chitosan and/or oxidizing agents, such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid, respectively, are also conducted to improve removal performance. The results of their Cr removal performances are statistically compared. It is evident that adsorbents chemically modified with an oxidizing agent demonstrate better Cr(VI) removal capabilities than as-received adsorbents in terms of adsorption rate. Both CSC and CAC, which have been oxidized with nitric acid, have higher Cr adsorption capacities (CSC: 10.88, CAC: 15.47 mg g(-1)) than those oxidized with sulfuric acid (CSC: 4.05, CAC: 8.94 mg g(-1)) and non-treated CSC coated with chitosan (CSCCC: 3.65 mg g(-1)), respectively, suggesting that surface modification of a carbon adsorbent with a strong oxidizing agent generates more adsorption sites on their solid surface for metal adsorption.     

Chromium(VI) sorptive removal from aqueous solutions by nanocrystalline akaganèite

In this study, akaganeite (beta-FeO(OH)) an ironoxyhydroxide material, was used as a low-cost potential adsorbent for the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. The influence of agitation speed, solution pH, initial chromium concentration, sorbent concentration and temperature were evaluated at batch kinetic runs. It was shown that the solid diffusion model, in comparison to simple reaction kinetic models, described better the sorption kinetics. Freundlich and Frumkin isotherm best fitted the equilibrium results. Akaganeite presented a sorption capacity approximately 80 mg Cr(VI) g(-1), under the conditions studied. Flotation was used as a downstream process for the effective removal of the loaded material.     

慈竹生物炭对水溶液中Cr(VI)的吸附性能

以慈竹(sinocalamus affinis, SA)为原料,用磷酸对其进行活化,后经热解得到活化生物炭(activated sinocalamus affinis biochar, ASAB),用来吸附水溶液中的Cr(VI)。当溶液的初始pH为3时,Cr(VI)的初始质量浓度为20 mg·L⁻¹,吸附剂投加量为1g·L⁻¹时,Cr(VI)去除率高达99.8%,剩余溶液中Cr(VI)的质量浓度低于废水排放标准(0.5 mg·L⁻¹)。保持其他条件不变,改变Cr(VI)初始浓度,吸附剂的最大吸附容量可达236.2 mg·g⁻¹。以上结果均说明ASAB对废水中的Cr(VI)具有良好的吸附效果。采用SEM、BET、FTIR、XPS等表征方法对活化前、后的慈竹生物炭的化学结构和物理组成进行了表征。ASAB的比表面积是844.45 m²·g⁻¹,约为SAB(sinocalamus affinis biochar)的2.6倍,较高的比表面积可以提供更多的活性位点。本研究中,ASAB的除铬的机制包括静电作用和氧化还原作用。经过5个吸附-脱附循环后,ASAB对Cr(VI)的吸附效率依然可以达到80.9%。以上结果表明,作为1种高效的Cr(VI)吸附剂,ASAB可以用于处理废水中的Cr(VI)。     

NiFe2O4/ZnAl-LDH吸附去除水中Cr(VI)

采用共沉淀法合成磁性复合材料NiFe2O4/ZnAl-LDH,通过静态吸附试验考察复合材料去除水中Cr（VI）的性能,系统地研究了溶液初始pH值、吸附剂投加量、吸附时间和温度等因素对Cr（VI）去除效果的影响。结果表明,当溶液初始pH值为2、初始Cr（VI）浓度为50 mg·L-1、吸附剂投加量为4 g·L-1时,吸附过程在240 min内达到平衡,此时Cr（VI）的去除率为89.5%。动力学和吸附等温式的研究表明：NiFe2O4/ZnAl-LDH吸附Cr（VI）的过程符合准二级动力学和Langmuir等温吸附模型。热力学参数表明该吸附过程为自发、放热的反应过程,低温有利于吸附剂对Cr（VI）的吸附。吸附剂经4次再生后对Cr（VI）仍有83.1%的去除率,且其在外加磁场的作用下能快速与水溶液分离,因此NiFe2O4/ZnAl-LDH可作为去除水中Cr（VI）的良好吸附剂。     

Enhanced adsorption of hexavalent chromium by a biochar derived from ramie biomass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Boehmeria nivea</Emphasis> (L.) Gaud.) modified with β-cyclodextrin/poly(L-glutamic acid)

This paper explored biochar modification to enhance biochar’s ability to adsorb hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution. The ramie stem biomass was pyrolyzed and then treated by β-cyclodextrin/poly(L-glutamic acid) which contained plentiful functional groups. The pristine and modified biochar were characterized by FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, specific surface area, and zeta potential measurement. Results indicated that the β-cyclodextrin/poly(L-glutamic acid) was successfully bound to the biochar surface. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the kinetics, isotherm, thermodynamics, and adsorption/desorption of Cr(VI). Adsorption capacities of CGA-biochar were significantly higher than that of the untreated biochar, and its maximum adsorption capacity could reach up to 197.21 mg/g at pH 2.0. Results also illustrated that sorption performance depended on initial solution pH; in addition, acidic condition was beneficial to the Cr(VI) uptake. Furthermore, the Cr(VI) uptake was significantly affected by the ion strength and cation species. This study demonstrated that CGA-biochar could be a potential adsorbent for Cr(VI) pollution control.     

Physical and chemical regeneration of zeolitic adsorbents for dye removal in wastewater treatment

Natural zeolite and synthetic zeolite, MCM-22, were employed as effective adsorbents for a basic dye, methylene blue, removal from wastewater. Two methods, Fenton oxidation and high temperature combustion, have been used for regeneration of used materials. It is found that MCM-22 exhibits equilibrium adsorption at 1.7 x 10(-4) mol g(-1), much higher than the adsorption of natural zeolite (5 x 10(-5) mol g(-1)) at initial dye concentration of 2.7 x 10(-5)M and 30 degrees C. Solution pH will affect the adsorption behaviour of MCM-22. Higher solution pH results in higher adsorption capacity. The regenerated adsorbents show different capacity depending on regeneration technique. Physical regeneration by high temperature combustion will be better than chemical regeneration using Fenton oxidation in producing effective adsorbents. Regeneration of MCM-22 by high temperature treatment can make the adsorbent exhibit comparable or superior adsorption capacity as compared to the fresh sample depending on the temperature and time. The optimal temperature and time will be 540 degrees C and 1h. The Fenton oxidation will recover 60% adsorption capacity. For natural zeolite, regeneration can not fully recover the adsorption capacity with the two techniques and the regenerated natural zeolites by the two techniques are similar, showing 60% adsorption capacity of fresh sample. Kinetic studies indicate that the adsorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics.     

Comparative and competitive adsorption of Cr(VI), As(III), and Ni(II) onto coconut charcoal

This study evaluates the behavior of coconut charcoal (AC) to adsorb Cr(VI), As(III), and Ni(II) in mono- and multicomponent (binary and ternary) systems. Batch experiments were carried out for mono- and multicomponent systems with varying metal ion concentrations to investigate the competitive adsorption characteristics. The adsorption kinetics followed the mechanism of the pseudo-second-order equation in both single and binary systems, indicating chemical sorption as the rate-limiting step of adsorption mechanism. Equilibrium studies showed that the adsorption of Cr(VI), As(III), and Ni(II) followed the Langmuir model and maximum adsorption capacities were found to be 5.257, 0.042, and 1.748 mg/g, respectively. In multicomponent system, As(III) and Ni(II) adsorption competed intensely, while Cr(VI) adsorption was much less affected by competition than As(III) and Ni(II). With the presence of Cr(VI), the adsorption capacities of As(III) and Ni(II) on AC were higher than those in single system and the metal sorption followed the order of Ni(II)?>?As(III)?>?Cr(VI). The results from the sequential adsorption–desorption cycles showed that AC adsorbent held good desorption and reusability.     

MgAl型层状化合物对六价铬的吸附性能

尿素-水热法制备层状双金属氢氧化物MgAl-LDH,系统考察了焙烧温度、pH值、初始Cr（VI）浓度、吸附时间和吸附温度对样品的吸附性能的影响。并对其吸附热力学、动力学和吸附机理进行研究。采用傅里叶红外光谱（FT-IR）对吸附Cr（VI）前后的MgAl-LDH进行表征。MgAl-LDH的最佳吸附条件为pH=2.5,吸附过程符合Langmuir等温模型,最大吸附容量为105.15 mg·g-1,其对Cr（VI）的吸附为放热过程,并遵守准二级动力学模型,化学吸附为主导。MgAl-LDH对Cr（VI）的吸附主要在酸性条件下进行,吸附机理主要为静电作用和离子交换：在酸性条件下,MgAl-LDH表面带正电荷,并通过静电作用吸附Cr（VI）阴离子,同时MgAl-LDH的层间CO32-和NO3-与溶液中的Cr（VI）阴离子进行离子交换。     

微波法制备工业污泥含碳吸附剂及其除铬性能

为实现工业集中区污水处理厂的脱水污泥（简称工业污泥）的废物资源化,以工业污泥为原料,通过氯化锌浸渍微波辐射法制备污泥炭吸附剂,探讨了制备过程中不同制备条件对污泥炭吸附剂吸附性能的影响,并用于吸附重金属离子铬。实验结果表明,除了微波功率、辐照时间等主要影响因素外,过滤条件、搅拌时间和盛放介质等因素也会影响污泥炭吸附剂的吸附性能,确定了工业污泥炭吸附剂的最佳制备条件是微波功率490 W,辐照时间10.0 min,氯化锌溶液浓度40％,搅拌时间24 h等,并且再生前后活性炭对含铬废水均有较好的处理效果;活性炭的投加量为1.0 g/L,Cr（Ⅵ）初始浓度和振荡速率分别为50 mg/L和100 r/min时,最佳除铬条件为pH、温度和吸附时间分别为2、室温（25℃）和1.0 h,在此条件下,Cr（Ⅵ）的去除率为98.5%,TCr的去除率为86.1%,从而为工业污泥的资源化提供了一条新途径。     

介孔铁锆复合氧化物的制备及其对Cr(VI)的吸附性能

以十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)为模板剂,以铁(Fe)和锆(Zr)为原料,采用不同Fe/Zr摩尔比例,制备出Fe/Zr复合氧化物吸附剂,对吸附剂的比表面积、孔径分布、晶型结构和零点电位(pHzpc)进行了表征.筛选吸附容量最佳的Fe/Zr吸附剂,考察了吸附条件对其去除水中Cr(VI)效果的影响,探讨了吸附动力学和等温线规律.结果表明:最佳吸附剂的Fe/Zr摩尔比为5/1,具有典型的介孔材料结构特征;该吸附剂在pH为2~8范围内均有良好的除Cr(VI)效率;30 min内即可达到吸附平衡,最大吸附容量为60.90 mg/g.介孔Fe/Zr复合氧化物与现有除Cr(VI)吸附剂相比具有更高的吸附能力,是一种具有较好应用潜力的水处理除Cr(VI)吸附剂.     

Chromium adsorption by aligned carbon nanotubes supported ceria nanoparticles

Ceria nanoparticles supported on aligned carbon nanotubes (CeO(2)/ACNTs), a novel adsorbent for Cr(VI) from drinking water, were prepared by chemical reaction of CeCl(3) with NaOH in aligned carbon nanotube solution and subsequent heat treatment. The best Cr(VI) adsorption effect of CeO(2)/ACNTs occurs at a pH range of 3.0-7.4. The largest adsorption capacity of CeO(2)/ACNTs reaches 30.2 mg g(-1) at an equilibrium Cr(VI) concentration of 35.3 mg l(-1) at pH 7.0. The experiment results suggest that CeO(2)/ACNTs have great potential applications in environmental protection.     

Removal of malachite green dye from wastewater by different organic acid-modified natural adsorbent: kinetics,equilibriums, mechanisms,practical application,and disposal of dye-loaded adsorbent

Natural adsorbent (Cinnamomum camphora sawdust) modified by organic acid (oxalic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid) was investigated as a potential adsorbent for the removal of hazardous malachite green (MG) dye in aqueous media in a batch process. The extent of MG adsorption onto modified sawdust increased with increasing organic acid concentrations, pH, contact time, and temperature but decreased with increasing adsorbent dosage and ionic strength. Kinetic study indicated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model could best describe the adsorption kinetics of MG. Equilibrium data were found to fit well with the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of the three kinds of organic acid-modified sawdust was 280.3, 222.8, and 157.5 mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the sorption of MG was an endothermic process. The adsorption mechanism, the application of adsorbents in practical wastewater, the prediction of single-stage batch adsorption system, and the disposal of depleted adsorbents were also discussed.     

Biogeochemical influence on transport of chromium in manganese sediments: experimental and modeling approaches

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was reduced to immobile and nontoxic Cr(III) by a dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria, Shewanella alga Simidu (BrY-MT) ATCC 55627. A series of kinetic batch and dynamic column experiments were conducted to provide an understanding of Cr(VI) reduction by the facultative anaerobe BrY-MT. Reduction of Cr(VI) was rapid (within 1 h) in columns packed with quartz sand and bacteria, whereas Cr(VI) reduction by BrY-MT was delayed (57 h) in the presence of beta-MnO2-coated sand. A mathematical model was developed and evaluated against data obtained from column experiments. The model takes into account (1) advective-dispersive transport of Cr(III), Cr(VI), lactate, and protein (mobile and immobile bacteria); (2) first-order kinetic adsorption of Cr(III) and lactate; (3) conversion of solid phase beta-MnO2 to solid phase MnOOH due to oxidation of Cr(III); (4) dual-Monod kinetics, where Cr(VI) is the electron acceptor and lactate is the electron donor. The breakthrough data for Cr(III), Cr(VI), lactate, and protein (mobile and immobile bacteria) were fitted simultaneously. The breakthrough data are well described by the mathematical model that considers the above processes. This result demonstrates the ability of the coupled hydrobiogeochemical model to simulate chromium transport in complex reactive systems.     

Use of activated dry flowers (ADF) of Alstonia Scholaris for chromium (Vl) removal: equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics studies

In this study, a natural adsorbent (activated dry flowers (ADF)) was prepared from plant-derived waste biomass by chemical activation and employed for chromium (VI) removal from aqueous medium using experimental batch technique. Experiments were carried out as function of adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time. The maximum chromium (Vl) removal was observed at initial pH 3 (~94 % removal). The equilibrium data was fitted well to Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption capacity of ADF was found to be 4.40 (mg chromium (Vl)/g) which was comparable to the adsorption capacity of some other adsorbents documented. Among various kinetic models applied, pseudo second-order model was found to explain the kinetics of chromium (VI) adsorption most effectively (R ² >0.99). Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH shows that adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic at all the concentration ranges studied. Desorption of chromium (Vl) with 2 N NaOH was effective (~71 %) and, hence, there exists the possibility of recycling the ADF. The major advantages of using ADF as an adsorbent are due to its effectiveness in reducing the concentration of chromium (Vl) to very low levels. It requires little processing and is reversible as well as eco-friendly in contrast to traditional methods.     

Comparative study of chromium biosorption by red, green and brown seaweed biomass

Dried biomass of the macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus spiralis (brown), Ulva spp. (comprising Ulva linza, Ulva compressa and Ulva intestinalis) and Ulva lactuca (green), Palmaria palmata and Polysiphonia lanosa (red) were studied in terms of their chromium biosorption performance. Metal sorption was highly pH dependent with maximum Cr(III) and Cr(VI) sorption occurring at pH 4.5 and pH 2, respectively. Extended equilibrium times were required for Cr(VI) binding over Cr(III) binding (180 and 120min, respectively) thus indicating possible disparities in binding mechanism between chromium oxidation states. The red seaweed P. palmata revealed the highest removal efficiency for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) at low initial concentrations. However, at high initial metal concentrations F. vesiculosus had the greatest removal efficiency for Cr(III) and performed almost identically to P. lanosa in terms of Cr(VI) removal. The Langmuir Isotherm mathematically described chromium binding to the seaweeds where F. vesiculosus had the largest q(max) for Cr(III) sorption (1.21mmol g(-1)) and P. lanosa had the largest Cr(VI) uptake (0.88mmol g(-1)). P. palmata had the highest affinity for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) binding with b values of 4.94mM(-1) and 8.64mM(-1), respectively. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed interactions of amino, carboxyl, sulphonate and hydroxyl groups in chromium binding to Ulva spp. The remaining seaweeds showed involvement of these groups to varying degrees as well as ether group participation in the brown seaweeds and for Cr(VI) binding to the red seaweeds.     

Removal of Cr(VI) and humic acid by using TiO2 photocatalysis

The removal efficiencies of Cr(VI) and HA, using a TiO(2)-mediated photocatalytic process, were investigated with variations in the pH, TiO(2) dosage and Cr(VI)/HA ratio. During the photocatalytic reaction, the total removal of Cr(VI) occurred through adsorption onto TiO(2), as well as its reduction to Cr(III). However, oxidation and adsorption were identified as important removal processes for the treatment of HA. Due to the anionic type adsorption onto TiO(2) and its acid-catalyzed photocatalytic reduction, the removal of Cr(VI) decreased with increasing pH, while that of HA increased with increasing pH. The TiO(2) dosage was also an important parameter for the removal of Cr(VI). As the TiO(2) dosage was increased to 2.5 g l(-1), the removal of Cr(VI) was continuously enhanced, but decreased at dosages above 3 g l(-1) due to the increased blockage of the incident UV light used for the photocatalytic reaction. The removal of Cr(VI) was greatly enhanced when the system contained both HA and Cr(VI) compared to Cr(VI) alone. Also, the removal of HA was greatly enhanced when the system contained both HA and Cr(VI) compared to HA alone. The removal of Cr(VI) was continuously enhanced as the HA concentration gradually increased; however, no further increase was observed above 20 mg l(-1) HA due to the increased absorption of the UV light. This result supports that the photocatalytic reaction, with illuminated TiO(2), could be applied to more effectively treat wastewater containing both Cr(VI) and HA than that containing a single species only.     

CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDO吸附水中的Cr(Ⅵ)

采用水热法、共沉淀法合成CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDH,于高温下焙烧4 h后,制备出同时具有高吸附性能和磁分离性能的镁铝复合氧化物(CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDO),研究其对水中Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附效果。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(FTIR)等技术对吸附剂进行表征。通过序批实验考察了焙烧温度、溶液初始pH值、吸附时间、温度等因素对CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDO吸附Cr(Ⅵ)的影响。结果表明,当焙烧温度在450~550 ℃之间、溶液初始pH=2~6时,吸附剂对Cr(Ⅵ)均具有较好的吸附效果,且吸附反应在90 min内达到平衡。CoFe2O4/MgAl-LDO吸附Cr(Ⅵ)过程符合准二级动力学和Langmuir等温吸附模型,当温度为318 K时,理论饱和吸附容量为98.04 mg/g。热力学研究结果表明,该吸附过程为自发的、吸热反应过程。