Development of Polymeric and Polymer‐Based Hybrid Adsorbents for Chromium Removal from Aqueous Solution

Ferric oxide‐loaded hybrid sorbents are environmentally benign and exhibit sorption behaviors for chromium removal from waters. In the current study, glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMD) and nanosized ferric oxide loaded glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMDFe) were prepared and assayed to examine the effect of ferric oxide loading on chromium sorption from aqueous solution for the first time from the equilibrium and kinetic points of view. The experimental equilibrium data, suitably fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, have shown that ferric oxide loaded hybrid sorbent exhibits higher adsorption capacity than glycidyl methacrylate‐based polymer (GMD). The Langmuir isotherm model was found to be the most suitable one for the Cr(VI) adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacities of GMD and GMDFe sorbents were determined at pH 4 as 109.54 and 157.52 mg/g, respectively. A series of column experiments was carried out to determine the breakthrough curves. The column was regenerated by eluting Cr(VI) using NaOH (10% w/v) solution after adsorption studies.     

Bioremediation of Tannery Effluents Using a Consortium of Blue–Green Algal Species

Trivalent chromium in the form of basic chromium sulfate (BCS) is used for tanning hides/skins and is a strong pollutant of the soil and water bodies. Significant quantities of unutilized chemicals, such as sulfates, chlorides, are also discharged, contributing to high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), etc. Though many treatment techniques are being practiced, biotechnological methods are gaining importance. Biosorption is recognized as a cost‐effective technology worldwide; one potential sorbent being blue–green algae (BGA), for treating metal‐bearing effluents. This work studies the feasibility of using a species each of Spirulina, Oscillatoria, and Synechocystis, individually and as a consortium, as sorbents to remove Cr³⁺ from a segregated stream, viz. exhaust chrome liquor (ECL) and synthetic BCS solution. The species studied were found to be effective in removing Cr³⁺ considerably at varying concentrations, besides reducing sulfates, BOD, COD, etc. The results of ECL experiments were more encouraging than those for BCS solution. The kinetic data on Cr³⁺ sorption onto algal biomass fit well into the pseudo‐second order model. The equilibrium data were analyzed using the classic Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, yielding good fits. The results of the experiments indicate that algal consortia could be good alternatives to the conventional treatment methods for leather and other industrial wastewaters containing chromium.     

Hexavalent chromium: Toxicity and impact on carbohydrate metabolism and haematological parameters of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) from Saudi Arabia

The effect of hexavalent chromium on the carp,Cyprinus carpio was assessed using static bioassay. The 96h LC₅₀ was found to be 93.6mg · l^–1. In carp exposed to sublethal concentrations of chromium (15 and 25 mg · l^–1), significant depletion of liver and muscle glycogen and decreasing leucocyte counts were recorded during prolonged exposure and with increasing concentration of chromium. The other blood parameters examined (haemoglobin, erythrocyte count, hematocrit, serum protein, serum glucose) increased similarly during exposure to two chromium concentrations.     

Evaluation of aquifer environment under Hazaribagh leather processing zone of Dhaka city

Hazaribagh is a densely populated area of Dhaka city where about 185 leather processing industries have been operating and discharging solid and liquid wastes directly to the low-lying areas, river and natural canals without proper treatment. The area is covered by alluvial deposits of Holocene age and is underlain by Pleistocene Madhupur clay. The Dupi Tila Formation of Mio-Pliocene age underlain by this yellowish gray to brick red clay bed serves as the main water-bearing aquifer of Dhaka city. To assess the environmental degradation as well as the groundwater environment, major anions, cations and heavy metals of water samples, heavy metals and organic carbon content of sediment samples were analyzed in this study. Analyses of tannery effluent detect high concentration of Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻ and SO ₄ ²⁻ followed by Ca²⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ and K⁺ with remarkable contents of some trace elements, mainly Cr, Fe, Mn, S, Ni and Pb. Higher accumulations of Cr, Al and Fe are observed in topsoil samples with significant amounts of Mn, Zn, Ni and Cu. Concentrations of ions and all the investigated trace elements of sampled groundwater were within the maximum allowable limit for drinking water of the Department of Environment, Bangladesh (DoE), and World Health Organization (WHO). However, excessive concentrations of Cr, Pb, etc., have already been reported in the shallow groundwater (10–20 m) of the area. Due to excessive withdrawal the vulnerability of groundwater contamination in deeper parts cannot be avoided for the future.     

Solid speciation and availability of chromium in ultramafic soils from Niquelândia, Brazil

The sources and the potential availability of chromium were investigated in ultramafic soils from Niquelândia (Goïas State, Brazil), with chemical extractions associated to mineralogical studies, in order to evaluate its bioavailability and its potential impact on the soil biodiversity. Cr contents are particularly high in the studied soils and its partitioning among the solid phase varies with the position in the landscape and depth. Most of the Cr is associated to Fe-oxides but the amount of exchangeable Cr(VI) is high, particularly in one soil profile. Cr availability is higher than expected, and Cr-tolerant vegetation is probably growing on these soils.     

Effects of indigenous bacteria on Cr(VI) reduction in Cr-contaminated sediment with industrial wastes

Black, clay-like sediments have been obtained from the area of the pigment manufacturing factories in Dongducheon city, Korea. These sediments were contaminated by heavy metals, especially chromium (700 mg/kg). Indigenous bacteria in the sediments were isolated to investigate their ability to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The enriched bacterial consortium reduced over 99% of dissolved Cr(VI) in 96 h from the onset of the experiments under anaerobic condition, while there was no change in Cr(VI) concentration until 300 h in abiotic controls. Total amount of dissolved Cr decreased simultaneously when Cr(VI) was reduced, which was likely due to precipitation of Cr(OH)₃ after microbial reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Under aerobic condition, only 30% of dissolved Cr(VI) was reduced by indigenous bacteria until 900 h. The reduction of Cr(VI) did not accompany bacterial growth since the amount of protein did not show a significant change with time both in the presence and absence of O₂. These indigenous bacteria may play a role in the treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated sediments.     

Speciation of Cr and V within BOF steel slag reused in road constructions

Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) steel slag is a residue from the basic oxygen converter in steel-making operations, which is partially reused as an aggregate for road constructions. It is essentially composed of calcium, silicon and iron but also contains potential toxic elements present as traces, like chromium (Cr, 2600 mg kg^− 1) and vanadium (V, 690 mg kg^− 1), which can be released. The linked results of chemical analysis, XRD and SEM-EDX enabled to identify the main mineral phases composing BOF slag and EDX micro-analyses indicated that V and Cr were associated to dicalciumferrite. A 47-days static leaching test at a laboratory scale with a controlled pH of 5 (pH_stat leaching test) showed that Cr was little released, while V was significantly released. Finally, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of 3 BOF slag samples were recorded (“raw”, leached 47 days at pH 5 and aged 2 years in a lysimeter). XANES spectra showed that Cr is present at octahedral coordination in the trivalent form, the less mobile and less toxic one, and that its speciation does not evolve during natural ageing and leaching at pH 5. They also indicated that V is predominantly present in the + 4 oxidation state and seems to become oxidized to the pentavalent form (the most toxic form) during natural ageing.     

Behaviour of chromium VI in a multilayer aquifer in the industrial zone of Annaba,Algeria

Industrial wastewater is characterised by the presence of a great quantity of metallic micro-pollutants, among which chromium by its mobility, contaminates the surface and groundwater. The study of different aquifers within the area of Annaba (Algeria) shows extremely variable chromium concentrations in the unconfined aquifer (0–0.22 mg l⁻¹), which becomes practically null in dry period; on the other hand, they remain relatively constant in the deep confined aquifer (about 0.04 mg l⁻¹). To specify the mechanisms of chromium migration in the aquifer system, a study of space–time evolution of chromium concentrations in unconfined aquifer was undertaken, while considering the kinetics of diffusion in the deeper aquifer. Chromium, indirectly reduced microbiologically by sulphate-reducer bacteria in the upper aquifer, is likely to anticipate the auto-depuration capacity of the ground and to reduce the quality of groundwater.     

The effect of valence state and site geometry on Cr L3,2 electron energy-loss spectra of Cr-bearing oxidic compounds

Chromium L_3,2 energy loss near-edge structures (ELNES) of nine chromium compounds were measured in a transmission electron microscope to study the effect of valence state and site geometry of chromium on spectral features. The compounds studied represent a set of standards with given valence state and coordination. The chromium coordination is either octahedral or tetrahedral with different degree of distortion. The distortion of polyhedra results in a loss of the fine detail of spectral features in Cr L_3,2 ELNES spectra. The effect of valence state manifests in a systematic chemical shift of the ELNES spectra by about 2 eV per oxidation state for octahedrally coordinated Cr and 0.4–1.4 eV per oxidation state for tetrahedrally coordinated Cr. On the basis of collected Cr L_3,2 ELNES spectra we propose a simple quantification technique for the determination of chromium oxidation state in oxidic compounds which is independent of the coordination.     

铬铁磨球的研究及应用

综述了铬铁磨球研究方面的最新成果。并对铬铁磨球的生产工艺要点、组织性能特点及应用效果进行了重点讨论。