Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Magnetite coated sand adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal from synthetic and pharmaceutical wastewater: adsorption isotherms and kinetics

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study analyzed the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) from synthetic and pharmaceutical wastewater streams using an adsorption technique by magnetite coated sand. In this context, batch experiments were performed using synthetic and pharmaceutical wastewater to analyze the influence of contact time and adsorbent dose on the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) in two different phases. Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) coated sand adsorbent was prepared by the coprecipitation method. The performances of the two batch reactors treating synthetic and pharmaceutical wastewater were compared to analyze the influence of contact time and adsorbent dose on Cr(VI) removal efficiency. In particular, different conditions of contact time and adsorbate concentration on the sorption process were studied. The adsorbent materials were further characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and the analysis of the Cr(VI) was analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Results obtained from the first phase of the study showed that for initial concentrations of 1 mg/L for both synthetic and pharmaceutical wastes, the remaining concentrations were determined to be 0.022 and 0.029 mg/L, respectively. The kinetic adsorption isotherms models have shown that the adsorbent follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The isotherms were well fitted with Langmuir and Redlich–Peterson model, indicating monolayer adsorption of hexavalent Cr on the magnetite coated sand surface. However, the presence of other adsorbates in pharmaceutical wastewater influences the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) minutely. It can be inferred from the study that the adsorbent can be used for heavy metal treatment in a cost-effective manner since the magnetite is coated on the sand; it eliminates the problem of extraction of nanoparticles from treated wastewater and can be removed by a simple filtration process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

References

  • Ali A, Hira Zafar MZ, Ul Haq I, Phull AR, Ali JS, Hussain A (2016a) Synthesis, characterization, applications, and challenges of iron oxide nanoparticles. Nanotechnol Sci Appl 9:49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali A, Saeed K, Mabood F (2016b) Removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous medium using chemically modified banana peels as efficient low-cost adsorbent. Alex Eng J 55(3):2933–2942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali H, Khan E, Ilahi I (2019) Ehazardous heavy metals: environmental persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. J Chem art. no. 6730305

  • Ayawei N, Ebelegi AN, Wankasi D (2017) Modelling and interpretation of adsorption isotherms. J Chem art. no. 3039817

  • Borna MO, Pirsaheb M, Niri MV, Mashizie RK, Kakavandi B, Zare MR, Asadi A (2016) Batch and column studies for the adsorption of chromium (VI) on low-cost Hibiscus Cannabinus kenaf, a green adsorbent. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 68:80–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen CY, Yang CY, Chen AH (2011) Biosorption of Cu (II), Zn (II), Ni (II) and Pb (II) ions by cross-linked metal-imprinted chitosans with epichlorohydrin. J Environ Manag 92(3):796–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury SR, Yanful EK (2010) Arsenic and Cr removal by mixed magnetite–maghemite nanoparticles and the effect of phosphate on removal. J Environ Manag 91(11):2238–2247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board New Delhi) (2017) General standards for discharge of environmental pollutants part-a: effluents. New Delhi

  • Dave PN, Chopda LV (2014) Application of iron oxide nanomaterials for the removal of heavy metals. J Nanotechnol art. no. 398569

  • Fan T, Liu Y, Feng B, Zeng G, Yang C, Zhou M, Zhou H, Tan Z, Wang X (2008) Biosorption of cadmium(II), zinc(II) and lead(II) by Penicillium simplicissimum: isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics. J Hazard Mater 160(2-3):655–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X, Wu Z, Li W, Wang Z, Li Q, Kong F, Zhang H, Zhu X, du YP, Jin Y, du Y, You J (2016) Appropriate size of magnetic nanoparticles for various bioapplications in cancer diagnostics and therapy. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 8(5):3092–3106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VK, Carrott PJM, Carrott R, Suhas MML (2009) Low-cost adsorbents: growing approach to wastewater treatment—a review. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 39:783–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta A, Mohammed Y, Sankararmakrishnan N (2013) Chitosan- and iron- chitosan-coated sand filters: a cost-effective approach for enhanced arsenic removal. Ind Eng Chem Res 52(5):2066–2072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho YS, McKay G (1998) Kinetic models for the sorption of dye from aqueous solution by wood. J Environ Sci Health B Process Saf Environ Prot 76(2):183–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu J, Lo IMC, Chen G (2004) Removal of Cr (VI) by magnetite. Water Sci Technol 50(12):139–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu J, Chen G, Lo IM (2005) Removal and recovery of Cr (VI) from wastewater by maghemite nanoparticles. Water Res 39(18):4528–4536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu J, Chen G, Lo IM (2006) Selective removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater using maghemite nanoparticle: performance and mechanisms. J Environ Eng 132(7):709–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam MA, Angove MJ, Morton DW (2019) Recent innovative research on Cr (VI) adsorption mechanism. Environ Nanotechnol Monit Manag 12:100267

    Google Scholar 

  • Itoh M, Yuasa M, Kobayashi T (1975) Adsorption of metal ions on yeast cells at varied cell concentrations. Plant Cell Physiol 16(6):1167–1169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Izuru S, Toshiro T, Masaru K (1976) Method of extracting heavy metals from industrial waste waters. U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 1976 3,931,007

  • Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Mathew BB, Beeregowda KN (2014) Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol 7(2):60–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaczala F, Marques M, Hogland W (2009) Lead and vanadium removal from a real industrial wastewater by gravitational settling/sedimentation and sorption onto Pinus sylvestris sawdust. Bioresour Technol 100(1):235–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kango S, Kumar R (2016) Low-cost magnetic adsorbent for As (III) removal from water: adsorption kinetics and isotherms. Environ Monit Assess 188(1):60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lagergren S (1898) About the theory of so-called adsorption of soluble substance. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 24:1–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Langmuir I (1918) The adsorption of gases on plane surfaces of glass, mica and platinum. J Am Chem Soc 40(9):1361–1403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoudi E, Behnajady MA (2018) Synthesis of Fe3O4@ NiO core-shell nanocomposite by the precipitation method and investigation of Cr (VI) adsorption efficiency. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 538:287–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manohar DM, Noeline BF, Anirudhan TS (2006) Adsorption performance of Al-pillared bentonite clay for the removal of cobalt (II) from aqueous phase. Appl Clay Sci 31(3-4):194–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra S, Bharagava RN, More N, Yadav A, Zainith S, Mani S, Chowdhary P (2019) Heavy metal contamination: an alarming threat to environment and human health. In: Environmental biotechnology: for sustainable future. Springer, Singapore, pp 103–125

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Naghipour D, Taghavi K, Ashournia M, Jaafari J, andArjmandMovarrekh, R. (2020) A study of Cr (VI) and NH4+ adsorption using greensand (glauconite) as a low-cost adsorbent from aqueous solutions. Water Environ J 34(1):45–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panda H, Tiadi N, Mohanty M, Mohanty CR (2017) Studies on adsorption behavior of an industrial waste for removal of chromium from aqueous solution. S Afr J Chem Eng 23:132–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandey PK, Choubey S, Verma Y, Pandey M, Chandrashekhar K (2009) Biosorptive removal of arsenic from drinking water. Bioresour Technol 100(2):634–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng H, Guo J (2020) Removal of chromium from wastewater by membrane filtration, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption electrocoagulation, electrochemical reduction, electrodialysis, electrodeionization, photocatalysis and nanotechnology: a review. Environ Chem Lett 18:2055–2068

  • Redlich OJDL, Peterson DL (1959) A useful adsorption isotherm. J Phys Chem 63(6):1024–1024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren Z, Zhang G, Chen JP (2011) Adsorptive removal of arsenic from water by an iron-zirconium binary oxide adsorbent. J Colloid Interface Sci 358(1):230–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rome L, Gadd GM (1987) Copper adsorption by Rhizopus arrhizus, Cladosoriumresinae and Penicillium italicum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 26(1):84–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saha R, Nandi R, Saha B (2011) Sources and toxicity of hexavalent Cr. J Coord Chem 64(10):1782–1806

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sall ML, Diaw AKD, Gningue-Sall D, Aaron SE, Aaron JJ (2020) Toxic heavy metals: impact on the environment and human health, and treatment with conducting organic polymers, a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 27:29927–29942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sari A, Mendil D, Tuzen M, Soylak M (2008) Biosorption of Cd(II) and Cr(III) from aqueous solution by moss (Hylocomium splendens) biomass: equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies. Chem Eng J 144:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sathvika T, Manasi, Rajesh V, Rajesh N (2016) Adsorption of Cr supported with various column modelling studies through the synergistic influence of Aspergillus and cellulose. J Environ Chem Eng 4:3193–3204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen H, Pan S, Zhang Y, Huang X, Gong H (2012) A new insight on the adsorption mechanism of amino-functionalized nano-Fe3O4 magnetic polymers in Cu (II), Cr (VI) co-existing water system. Chem Eng J 183:180–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh J, Kalamdhad AS (2011) Effects of heavy metals on soil, plants, human health and aquatic life. Int J Res Chem Environ 1(2):15–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang L, Deng S, Tan D, Long J, Lei M (2019) Heavy metal distribution, translocation, and human health risk assessment in the soil-rice system around Dongting Lake area, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(17):17655–17665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tchounwou PB, Yedjou CG, Patlolla AK, Sutton DJ (2012) Heavy metal toxicity and the environment. In: Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology. Springer, Basel, pp 133–164

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tran HN, You SJ, Hosseini-Bandegharaei A, Chao HP (2017) Mistakes and inconsistencies regarding adsorption of contaminants from aqueous solutions: a critical review. Water Res 120:88–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsamo C, Djonga PD, Dikdim JD, Kamga R (2018) Kinetic and equilibrium studies of Cr (VI), Cu (II) and Pb (II) removal from aqueous solution using red mud, a low-cost adsorbent. Arab J Sci Eng 43(5):2353–2368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tvrdík J, Křivý I, andMišík, L. (2007) Adaptive population-based search: application to estimation of nonlinear regression parameters. Comput Stat Data Anal 52(2):713–724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ullah R, Ahmad W, Ahmad I, Khan M, Iqbal Khattak M, Hussain F (2020) Adsorption and recovery of hexavalent chromium from tannery wastewater over magnetic max phase composite. Sep Sci Technol 56(3):439–452

  • Weber WJ Jr, Morris JC (1963) Kinetics of adsorption oncarbon from solution, Journal of Sanitation Engineering, Division of American Society Civil Engineering. 89:31–60

  • Wu FC, Tseng RL, Juang RS (2009) Initial behavior of intraparticle diffusion model used in the description of kineticsadsorptionisotherms. Chem Eng J 153(1):1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Li H, Zhao Z, Yi X, Deng D, Zheng L, Luo X, Cai Y, Luo W, Zhang M (2021) Low-cost and high-efficiency metallurgical copper slag@ polyaniline core–shell composite as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution. J Alloys Compd 851:156741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao B, Liu M, Gao Y, Liu Y, Cong S, Zou D (2020) Removal of hexavalent Cr in aqueous solution using organic iron-based composites synthesized and immobilized by natural dried willow leaves. J Clean Prod 247:119132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yi Y, Tu G, Zhao D, Tsang PE, Fang Z (2020) Key role of FeO in the reduction of Cr (VI) by magnetic biochar synthesised using steel pickling waste liquor and sugarcane bagasse. J Clean Prod 245:118886

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu J-W, Neretnieks I (1990) Single-component and multicomponent adsorption equilibria on activated carbon of methylcyclohexane, toluene and isobutyl methyl ketone. Ind Eng Chem Res 29:220–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan P, Liu D, Fan M, Yang D, Zhu R, Ge F, He H (2010) Removal of hexavalent Cr [Cr (VI)] from aqueous solutions by the diatomite-supported/unsupported magnetite nanoparticles. J Hazard Mater 173(1-3):614–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Lin S, Han M, Su Q, Xia L, Hui Z (2020) Adsorption properties of magnetic magnetite nanoparticle for coexistent Cr (VI) and Cu (II) in mixed solution. Water 12(2):446

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors take this opportunity in thanking the distinguished reviewers and the editor for their incisive comments which led to a huge improvement in the quality of the research paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Jaypee University of Information Technology, District Solan, Waknaghat, Himachal Pradesh, 173234, India

    Sahil Lakhanpal, Anirban Dhulia & Rajiv Ganguly

Authors
  1. Sahil Lakhanpal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anirban Dhulia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rajiv Ganguly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

SL conducted the initial experiments including the preparation of the adsorbent and reported the results and prepared the initial manuscript. AD examined the data, did the kinetic modeling, and reviewed the initial manuscript. RG was involved in the conceptualization of the study and reviewing the results and was also involved in the overall supervision of the study.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajiv Ganguly.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lakhanpal, S., Dhulia, A. & Ganguly, R. Magnetite coated sand adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal from synthetic and pharmaceutical wastewater: adsorption isotherms and kinetics. Arab J Geosci 14, 1180 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07559-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07559-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation