Rational suitability of low cost activated carbon in removing hexavalent chromium ions from wastewater by uninterrupted mode of adsorption

Abstract

Abstract Heavy metals such as chromium, lead, arsenic and others are dense metals whose contamination of water may exterminate life on earth at the niche in industrial activities, foodstuffs or medicines and so on. Activated carbons are very helpful in removing heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions by adsorption, and have been investigated by many researchers so far. The practical relevance of activated carbon made from de oiled soya in the removal of hexavalent chromium ions through continuous adsorption mode is reported in this paper. A breakthrough plot was plotted in finding the effect of initial concentration and adsorbent bed height in the adsorption of hexavalent chromium through activated carbon of de oiled soya. The breakthrough time and saturation time increased as the concentration of the initial solution shot up from 40 mg/L to 60 mg/L. The saturation time was in an incremental mode when the thickness of the adsorbent bed height in a fixed bed was increased from 5cm to 7cm for 40 mg/L initial concentration of hexavalent chromium. The Adams-Bohart’s model was found to fit perfectly the fixed bed column in the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. The fabricated adsorbent worked well in detoxifying hexavalent chromium metal ion contaminated wastewater.