Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Aqueous Solution by Using Adsorption onto Commerical Iron Powder; Study of Equilibrium and Kinetics

Introduction & Industrial wastewaters including heavy metals, are one of the important sources of environmental pollution. Heavy metals such as chromium is found in plating wastewater and is harmful for human health and environment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate adsorption of hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) from aqueous solution onto commerical Iron powder as an effective, faster, and cheaper adsorbent. This research was an experimental- lablatory study done in batch system. This study investigated the removal of hexavalent chromium by using commerical Iron powder with variation pH, contact time, Iron powder dose and initial hexavalent chromium concentration in batch system, and the result was analyzed by Excel software. The results showed that the removal efficiency decreased with increasing pH and initial chromium concentration. Also the results showed that the removal efficiency increased with increasing Iron powder dose and contact time. With increasing adsorbent dose from 0.1g/100cc to 1.5 g/100cc, the removal efficiency increased from 47.5% to 92.5 % in constant conditions (pH=7, initial hexavalent chromium concentration = 20 mg/L). Also removal efficiency increased from 41.1% to 48.5% with increasing contact time from 2 min to 120 min in constant conditions (pH=7, Iron powder= 0.1g/100cc, initial hexavalent chromium concentration= 20 mg/L). Experimental isotherms and kinetics models were assessed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order kinetics and modifed pseudo-first-order models. The results showed that the data were acceptably explained by Langmuir isotherms and pseudo-second-order kinetics models, respectively. The results showed that the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution using sawdust can be done faster and cheaper.