Abstract
The biosorption of Cr(VI) from synthetic solutions and electroplating wastewater using the fruit shell of gulmohar has been investigated in a batch system. The effects of various parameters such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration of Cr(VI) on the biosorption process were studied. The complete removal of Cr(VI) was observed at pH < 3.0. Studies indicated that both biosorption and bioreduction were involved in the removal of Cr(VI). The sorption equilibrium exhibited a better fit to the Langmuir isotherm than the Freundlich isotherm. The maximum biosorption capacity of fruit shell of gulmohar to remove Cr(VI) was 12.28 mg/g. A kinetic model of pseudo-second order provided a good description of the experimental data as compared to a pseudo-first order kinetic model. The sorption rate was found to be dependent on the initial concentration of Cr(VI) and biomaterials dosage. The study showed that the abundant and inexpensive fruit shell of gulmohar biosorbent has a potential application in the removal of Cr(VI) from electroplating wastewater and its conversion into less or non-toxic Cr (III).Download PDF