Hexavalent Chromium Removal by Citrus limonium Shell

Abstract

We studied the Chromium(VI) removal capacity in aqueous solution by the lemon shell, using the diphenylcarbazide method to evaluate the metal concentration. So, the highest biosorption of the metal (50 mg/L) occurs within 100 minutes, at pH of 1.0, and 28˚C. According to temperature, the highest removal was observed at 60˚C, in 11 minutes, when the metal (1 g/L) is completely adsorbed. At the analyzed concentrations of Cr(VI), lemon shell, showed excellent removal capacity, besides it removes efficiently the metal in situ (97.2% removal, 7 days of incubation, 5 g of biomass). After 1 hour of incubation the studied biomass reduces 1.0 g of Cr(VI) with the simultaneous production of Cr(III); so it can be used to eliminate it from industrial wastewater.