Remediation of contaminated water with Chromium VI by sorption in surface-activated-nanocellulose

Abstract Chromium VI is a frequent pollutant of industrial liquid effluents resulting from industrial waste. It is a substance classified into the carcinogen group I. In this study, a Cr VI sorption mechanism was developed by using nanocellulose beads (hydrogel) obtained from ivory nut. Cr VI was detected in water by a colorimetric method, using 1, 5-diphenylcarbazide at λ 540 nm. The sorption capacity of nanocellulose spheres was tested by varying the solution's pH and temperatures. Our results showed that nanocellulose can efficiently adsorb at pH 4 and 25°C. Removal percentages were between 91.29%(+/-1.36) and 95.33%(+/- 0.86) of the total Cr VI. The sorption kinetics showed that the material reaches equilibrium after 20–30 minutes. Additionally, an analysis of adsorption isotherms showed a high fit with the Langmuir and Freundlinch isotherms. Therefore, this method seem to be applied both to decontaminate industrial and drinking water employing an organic matrix such as nanocelullose beads.