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Published on: December 12, 2013
Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution by dried activated sludge biomass.
Jun Wu1, Hua Zhang, Pin-Jing He
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Acid pretreatment enhances chromium(VI) removal by activated sludge. Lower pH and higher biomass concentration improve efficiency, with Cr(VI) reduction and sorption playing key roles.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a toxic heavy metal pollutant in industrial wastewater.
- Activated sludge biomass offers a potential biological solution for Cr(VI) remediation.
- Understanding factors influencing Cr(VI) removal is crucial for effective wastewater treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficiency of activated sludge for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions.
- To evaluate the impact of acid pretreatment, pH, and initial concentrations on Cr(VI) removal.
- To study proton consumption and the reducing capacity of sludge biomass during Cr(VI) remediation.
Main Methods:
- Batch experiments were performed using activated sludge biomass.
- Variables tested included acid pretreatment, initial pH (1-4), Cr(VI) concentration, and biomass concentration.
- Cr(VI) removal, proton consumption, and sludge reducing capacity were measured.
Main Results:
- Acid pretreatment significantly improved Cr(VI) removal efficiency and sludge reducing capacity by 20.4%.
- Lower pH (1-2) favored Cr(VI) reduction, while higher pH (3-4) promoted Cr(III) sorption.
- Lower initial Cr(VI) concentration and higher biomass concentration accelerated removal rates.
Conclusions:
- Acid pretreatment is a viable strategy to enhance Cr(VI) removal by activated sludge.
- pH is a critical factor, influencing both Cr(VI) reduction and Cr(III) sorption.
- The pseudo-second-order kinetic model effectively describes Cr(VI) removal under specific conditions.
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