Process enhancing strategies for the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) via photocatalytic pathway

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This discourse aimed at providing insight into the strategies that can be adopted to boost the process of photoreduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Cr(VI)...     

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。     

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by a novel ZnO-sludge biochar composite

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The incorporation of ZnO into biochar has become a promising way to obtain adsorbents with enhanced adsorption capacity. In this study, a low-cost...     

Selective removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by adsorption on mangosteen peel

Mangosteen peel, rich in polyphenolic compounds, was used to prepare the adsorbent exhibiting highly selective adsorption for Cr(VI) over other metal ions such as Pb²⁺, Fe³⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cr³⁺ at the pH values of 1～4. The chemical modification method proposed by using calcium hydroxide is quite cost-effective and ecofriendly without using any toxic reagents or causing any secondary pollution. The adsorption isotherm results revealed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) on the gel fit well the Langmuir adsorption model, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) at pH levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 was evaluated to be 2.46, 2.44, 1.99, and 2.14 mol/kg, respectively. The adsorption mechanism for Cr(VI) on the saponified gel was verified to follow an esterifiaction reaction coupled with the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in which H⁺ plays a role of promoter. Thus, modified mangosteen peel gel has the prominent selectivity and low cost for Cr(VI) removal.     

累托石/腐殖酸微球的制备及其对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附研究

采用累托石（REC）、腐殖酸（HA）等材料制备微球状吸附剂,考察了累托石、腐殖酸、聚乙烯醇（PVA）、海藻酸钠（SA）、氯化钙等材料的用量对制得的微球吸附性能的影响,通过正交试验确定了微球的最佳制备条件,还考察了微球用量、振荡时间和溶液pH值等因素对微球吸附去除水中Cr(VI)效果的影响。结果表明,采用累托石、腐殖酸、聚乙烯醇等材料可制得高效去除水中六价铬离子的微球状吸附剂,微球的最佳制备条件为：REC 1%,HA 4%,PVA 7%,SA 0.1%,CaCl₂ 0.5%。制得的累托石/腐殖酸微球孔系发达,吸附性能良好。在温度30℃,微球用量0.02 g/mL,振荡时间为2.5 h,pH值为1的条件下,微球对Cr(VI)的吸附效率可达98%以上。     

Simultaneous photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of phenol over monoclinic BiVO4 under visible light irradiation

BiVO4 powder with monoclinic structure was prepared and used as a visible-light catalyst simultaneously for the photooxidation of phenol and the photoreduction of Cr(VI). The photocatalytic efficiency was found to be rather low for either single phenol solution or single Cr(VI) solution. However, the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and photocatalytic oxidation of phenol proceed more rapidly for the coexistence system of phenol and Cr(VI) than for the single process, showing synergetic effect between the oxidation and reduction reactions. For the simultaneous photocatalytic reduction-oxidation process, the first-order kinetic constant of phenol degradation was 0.0314 min-1, being about six times higher than that for the photocatalytic process of single phenol. This result reveals the feasibility of using Cr(VI) as the electron scavenger of mBiVO4-mediated photocatalytic process of phenol degradation, and gives us an enlightenment to employ other semiconductor with a better visible light response but with a more positive band edge to efficiently degrade organic pollutants. This is the first report for simultaneous photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and removal of phenol under visible light irradiation using photocatalyst mBiVO4.     

零价铁对水中六价铬还原性能及沉淀污泥中铬的固定化

采用零价铁还原水中六价铬,考察了溶液初始pH、铁粉投量、反应温度及水体中常见阴阳离子对还原效率的影响,得出其工艺参数为:初始pH=3.0,反应时间t=30 min,反应温度为室温,Fe0与Cr(VI)质量比为1 000: 1。将还原后产生的三价铬以沉淀形式从水中彻底分离出来,并对其进行了碱激发矿渣固定化处理,考察了固定化样品中Cr在不同环境条件下的浸出水平,结果表明,固定化处理能有效控制沉淀污泥中Cr的浸出。     

Visible-light-induced photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) with coupled Bi2O3/TiO2 photocatalyst and the synergistic bisphenol A oxidation

Coupled Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ photocatalysts were fabricated by sol–gel and hydrothermal methods and characterized using various spectroscopy techniques. Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in aqueous solution, together with the synergistic effect of photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA), was investigated using these coupled Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ under visible-light irradiation. Coupling of Bi₂O₃ inhibited the phase transformation from anatase to rutile and extended absorption region to visible light. Bi ions did not enter TiO₂ lattice and were more likely to bond with oxygen atoms to form Bi₂O₃ on the surface of TiO₂. Photovoltage signals in visible range revealed the effective interfacial charge transfer between Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂. Two percent Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity of visible-light-induced reduction of Cr(VI). The addition of BPA effectively increased the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI). Simultaneously, the presence of Cr(VI) promoted the degradation of BPA, which was demonstrated by the investigation of TOC removal yield and generated intermediates. A possible mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and degradation of BPA in Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ system was proposed. The synergistic effect, observed between reduction of Cr(VI) and degradation of BPA, provides beneficial method for environmental remediation and purification of the complex wastewater.     

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.     

Decomplexation of Cr(III)-EDTA and simultaneous abatement of total Cr by photo-oxidation: efficiency and in situ reduction of intermediate Cr(VI)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Most prevailing processes are incapable of removing Cr(III)-organic complexes efficiently and facing the problem of in-process formation of highly...     

Removal of trace Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by porous activated carbon balls supported by nanoscale zero-valent iron composites

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, porous activated carbon balls supported by nanoscale zero-valent iron composites (Fe@PACB-700) were used for the first time for the...     

High-efficient removal of U(VI) from aqueous solution by self-assembly pomelo peel/palygorskite composite

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The efficient separation of low-concentration radionuclides by the eco-friendly adsorbent is a compelling requirement in the development of nuclear...     

Potential application of highly reactive Fe(0)/Fe3O4 composites for the reduction of Cr(VI) environmental contaminants

We describe the use of highly reactive Fe(0)/Fe3O4 composites for the reduction of Cr(VI) species in aqueous medium. The composites were prepared by simple mechanical alloying of metallic iron and magnetite in different proportions, i.e. Fe(0) 25, 50, 75 and 90wt%. While after 3h of reaction pure Fe(0) and pure Fe3O4 showed only a low reduction efficiency of 15% and 25% Cr(VI) conversion, respectively, the composites, in particular Fe(0)(25wt%)/Fe3O4, showed a remarkable activity with ca. 65% Cr(VI) conversion. Kinetic experiments showed a high reaction rate during the first 3h, which subsequently decreased strongly, probably due to a pH increase from 6 to 8. Experiments with composites based on Fe(0)/alpha-Fe2O3, Fe(0)/gamma-Fe2O3 and Fe(0)/FeOOH showed very low activities, suggesting that Fe(oct)2+ in the magnetite structure plays an important role in the reaction. Scanning and high resolution electron microscopies and M?ssbauer spectra (transmission and conversion electron M?ssbauer spectroscopy) indicated that the mechanical alloying process promotes a strong interaction and interface between the metallic and oxide phases, with the Fe(0) particles completely covered by Fe3O4 particles. The high efficiency of the composite Fe(0)/Fe3O4 for Cr(VI) reduction is discussed in terms of a special mechanism where an electron is transferred from Fe(0) to magnetite to reduce Fe(oct)3+ to Fe(oct)2+, which is active for Cr(VI) reduction.     

Biosorption of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions from aqueous solution onto the solid biodiesel waste residue: mechanistic, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

In this present study, the biosorption of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions from synthetic aqueous solution on defatted J atropha oil cake (DJOC) was investigated. The effect of various process parameters such as the initial pH, adsorbent dosage, initial metal ion concentration and contact time has been studied in batch-stirred experiments. Maximum removal of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions in aqueous solution was observed at pH 2.0 and pH. 5.0, respectively. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions from the aqueous solution was found to be 72.56 and 79.81 %, respectively, for initial metal ion concentration of 500 mg/L at 6 g/L dosage concentration. The biosorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy and zero point charge. Equilibrium data were fitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models and the best fit is found to be with the Freundlich isotherm for both Cr(VI) and Zn(II) metal ions. The kinetic data obtained at different metal ion concentration have been analysed using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models and were found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The values of mass transfer diffusion coefficients (D _e) were determined by Boyd model and compared with literature values. Various thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°, were analysed using the equilibrium constant values (K _e) obtained from experimental data at different temperatures. The results showed that biosorption of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions onto the DJOC system is more spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The results indicate that DJOC was shown to be a promising adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) and Zn(II) ions from aqueous solution.     

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution using electrosynthesized 4-amino-3-hydroxynaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid doped polypyrrole as adsorbent

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polypyrrole (PPy) conducting films, doped with 4-amino-3-hydroxynaphthalene sulfonic acid (AHNSA), were electrosynthesized by anodic oxidation of...     

微波促进含Cr(VI)-H2O2体系降解甲基橙溶液的研究

研究了微波辐射下Cr(VI)－H₂O₂催化降解甲基橙溶液的行为，探索了微波功率、微波辐射时间、pH值、H₂O₂浓度、Cr(VI)等对甲基橙溶液脱色率和COD去除率的影响。研究结果表明，Cr(VI)-H₂O₂能形成类Fenton体系；微波辐射可提高H₂O₂产生羟基自由基(·OH)的效率。1000 mg/L的甲基橙溶液，在Cr(VI)浓度为10.0 mmol/L、pH值为2.5、H₂O₂浓度为20.0 mmol/L、微波功率为700W下加热2 min，甲基橙溶液的脱色率为99.2%，COD去除率为82.8%。     

Terrestrial and aquatic ecotoxicity assessment of Cr(VI) by the ReCiPe method calculation (LCIA): application on an old industrial contaminated site

The most stable forms of chromium in the environment are chromium (III) and chromium (VI), the former being relatively immobile and necessary for organisms, and the latter being highly soluble and toxic. It is thus important to characterise ecotoxicological impacts of Cr(VI). However, there are still some important uncertainties in the calculation of ecotoxicological impacts of heavy metals in the LCIA global approach. The aim of this paper is to understand how the spatial and dynamic characterization of life cycle inventory (LCI) data can be exploited in life cycle impact assessment and particularly for the evaluation of the aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicity of Cr(VI). To quantify these impacts, we studied an industrial waste landfill in the North of France that was contaminated with chromium. On the polluted area, the aquatic contamination is due to the slag heap as well as to chromium spots in soil. The soil contamination is mainly due to infiltration of chromium from the infill. The concentration of Cr(VI) in soil and water varies according to seasonal climatic variations and groundwater level. These variations have an effect on the Cr(VI) fate factor, in particular on transfer and residence time of the substance. This study underlines the spatial distribution of aquatic ecotoxicity and the temporal variation of freshwater ecotoxicity. We analysed the correlation between precipitation, temperature, concentration and ecotoxicity impact. With regards to the terrestrial ecotoxicity, the study focused on the vertical variation of the ecotoxicity and the major role of the soil layer composition into terrestrial pollution.     

One stone two birds: novel carbon nanotube/Bi4VO8Cl photocatalyst for simultaneous organic pollutants degradation and Cr(VI) reduction

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, visible light-responsive carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/Bi4VO8Cl composite photocatalysts have been prepared by a facile in situ hydrothermal...