Removal and desorption of chromium in synthetic effluent by a mixed culture in a bioreactor with a magnetic field

Two chromium removal experiments were performed in bioreactors with and without a magnetic field under the same conditions. The release of the chromium present in the biomass was tested in two experiments one with the initial pH of the medium and one with pH 4.0. The objective was to remove Cr(VI) and total Cr from the effluent, this was carried out by placing biological treatments of synthetic effluent contaminated with 100 mg/L of Cr(VI) in a bioreactor with neodymium magnets that applied a magnetic field (intensity 85.4 mT) to the mixed culture. The removal of Cr(VI) was approximately 100.0% for the bioreactor with a magnetic field and 93.3% for the bioreactor without a magnetic field for 9 hr of recirculation of the synthetic effluent by the bioreactor. The removal of total Cr was 61.6% and 48.4%, with and without a magnetic field, respectively, for 24 hr. The desorption of Cr(VI) in the synthetic effluent was 0.05 mg/L, which is below the limit established by Brazilian legislation (0.1 mg/L) for the discharge of effluent containing Cr(VI) into bodies of water. The results obtained for the removal of chromium in synthetic effluent suggested that there was no significant influence on the viable cell count of the mixed culture. The desorption of Cr(VI) in synthetic effluent after bioadsorption of chromium by the mixed culture in the process of removal of chromium in bioreactors with and without a magnetic field was not significant in either of the experiments with different initial pHs.