Removal of Chromium from Textile Wastewater Utilizing Corncob Activated Carbon: The Case of MAA Garment

Removal of Chromium from Textile Wastewater Utilizing Corncob Activated Carbon: The Case of MAA Garment | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Removal of Chromium from Textile Wastewater Utilizing Corncob Activated Carbon: The Case of MAA Garment Maebele Gereziher Zegeye, Wondalem Misganaw Golie, Asmelash Gebrekidan Mekonen, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 17 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The increasing industrial use of chromium, particularly in the textile sector, presents significant environmental challenges due to the improper disposal of chromium-laden wastewater. This study explores the potential of corncob-derived activated carbon as an effective adsorbent for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) from wastewater generated by the MAA Garment Textile Factory in Mekelle, Ethiopia. Corncobs were collected from nearby agricultural fields in Quiha, Mekelle. They were then crushed using an electric grinder to a particle size of less than 100 mesh, followed by carbonization in a furnace at a temperature of 500 ℃. A comprehensive analysis of corncob revealed a moisture content of 7.95%, volatile matter at 75.24%, and an elemental composition of 51.21% carbon, 5.49% hydrogen, 0.3% nitrogen, and 43% oxygen. The functional groups of the activated carbon, chemically activated with potassium hydroxide, were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy. Experimental results demonstrated a remarkable chromium removal efficiency of 99.45% within 75 minutes at a pH of 6.5 and a dosage of 0.175 grams, with an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 7.67 mg/g. The adsorption characteristics were effectively modeled using the Langmuir isotherm, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 515.5 mg/g under optimal conditions, with both pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir model (R² = 0.999) accurately describing the process. This research underscores the feasibility of utilizing agricultural waste for chromium recovery, contributing to environmental management and resource conservation while promoting sustainable industrial practices in Ethiopia and beyond. Future studies should focus on scaling these methods for broader application across various industries to enhance environmental sustainability. Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology Activated carbon Adsorption process Chromium Corncob Wastewater Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 17 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 01 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 03 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Mar, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 18 Mar, 2025 Editor invited by journal 18 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6182717","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":432650725,"identity":"4af7e04a-5ab1-4ec8-9b4a-b21e9bfa0b81","order_by":0,"name":"Maebele Gereziher Zegeye","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ethiopian Institute of Technology- Mekelle","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maebele","middleName":"Gereziher","lastName":"Zegeye","suffix":""},{"id":432650727,"identity":"14b316d0-e487-41f0-bd5d-0878e4ef40cb","order_by":1,"name":"Wondalem Misganaw Golie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ethiopian Defense University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wondalem","middleName":"Misganaw","lastName":"Golie","suffix":""},{"id":432650728,"identity":"d4521126-f821-42d6-bc0e-ce6eeba15f94","order_by":2,"name":"Asmelash Gebrekidan Mekonen","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Ethiopian Institute of Technology- Mekelle","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Asmelash","middleName":"Gebrekidan","lastName":"Mekonen","suffix":""},{"id":432650729,"identity":"024dde00-8799-4c66-9ee9-6f71c996ea96","order_by":3,"name":"Desbelom Welegebrial Hagos","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ethiopian Institute of Technology- Mekelle","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Desbelom","middleName":"Welegebrial","lastName":"Hagos","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-08 07:53:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":79276785,"identity":"e63b6dbf-d612-470f-8ac8-9be9176bf578","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-03-26 12:30:15","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1245975,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript2025revised.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6182717/v1_covered_7ce5632e-f58c-492d-a06d-c173a9efc70f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Removal of Chromium from Textile Wastewater Utilizing Corncob Activated Carbon: The Case of MAA Garment","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Activated carbon, Adsorption process, Chromium, Corncob, Wastewater","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe increasing industrial use of chromium, particularly in the textile sector, presents significant environmental challenges due to the improper disposal of chromium-laden wastewater. This study explores the potential of corncob-derived activated carbon as an effective adsorbent for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) from wastewater generated by the MAA Garment Textile Factory in Mekelle, Ethiopia. Corncobs were collected from nearby agricultural fields in Quiha, Mekelle. They were then crushed using an electric grinder to a particle size of less than 100 mesh, followed by carbonization in a furnace at a temperature of 500 ℃. A comprehensive analysis of corncob revealed a moisture content of 7.95%, volatile matter at 75.24%, and an elemental composition of 51.21% carbon, 5.49% hydrogen, 0.3% nitrogen, and 43% oxygen. The functional groups of the activated carbon, chemically activated with potassium hydroxide, were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy. Experimental results demonstrated a remarkable chromium removal efficiency of 99.45% within 75 minutes at a pH of 6.5 and a dosage of 0.175 grams, with an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 7.67 mg/g. The adsorption characteristics were effectively modeled using the Langmuir isotherm, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 515.5 mg/g under optimal conditions, with both pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir model (R\u0026sup2; = 0.999) accurately describing the process. This research underscores the feasibility of utilizing agricultural waste for chromium recovery, contributing to environmental management and resource conservation while promoting sustainable industrial practices in Ethiopia and beyond. Future studies should focus on scaling these methods for broader application across various industries to enhance environmental sustainability.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Removal of Chromium from Textile Wastewater Utilizing Corncob Activated Carbon: The Case of MAA Garment","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-03-26 11:58:01","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6182717/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-27T09:02:05+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T08:11:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-17T08:57:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"148270132403912582401721212507814826015","date":"2026-01-02T04:04:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-01T16:22:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"75198102937968713099829092895701636107","date":"2026-01-01T14:26:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"318187380065554858948815677827626733872","date":"2026-01-01T14:25:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-03T06:02:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"198052517691537012238004405193220302099","date":"2025-11-30T14:12:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-04-16T08:20:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"53181576154250333318588624239494113331","date":"2025-03-23T09:04:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"21615353046892147162711590799192317919","date":"2025-03-18T09:39:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-03-18T09:02:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-18T08:53:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-03-18T04:27:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-03-14T12:13:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-03-08T07:50:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f42b487e-45a8-4d30-b505-8ae239ac86ca","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 26th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":46077456,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":46077457,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering"},{"id":46077458,"name":"Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-23T06:25:48+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-03-26 11:58:01","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6182717","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6182717","identity":"rs-6182717","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}