PREPARATION OF ACTIVATED BIOCHAR AND ITS USE IN ELIMINATION OF CHROMIUM FROM SELF-CONTAMINATED AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Abstract

Unprocessed industrial chemicals dumping in lakes and rivers possess a severe environmental risk through metals pollution within the food chain, especially Chromium. As Chromium is carcinogenic in nature, but it is present beyond permissible limit in less developing countries. It needs to be removed at least from drinking water. Iron modification has been extensively used for metal removal This work uses solid green waste for removing heavy metal Cr (VI). Mainly focuses upon the use of FeCl3 modified biochar utilizing sugarcane bagasse and peanut shell powder as biomass for Cr(VI) removal from selfcontaminated water. Adsorbent was prepared using Bench-Scale Fixed Bed Reactor (B-SFBR) and Cr (VI) determination colorimetric method was applied. Adsorbent was examined by different analytical techniques. Thermogravimetric (TGA) was done for checking degradation temperature of biomass. A decrease in BET surface area was observed as from 53.2132 m²/g to 10.0048 m²/g for raw and FeCl3 modified PSP and from 49.6679 m²/g to 18.5476 for raw and FeCl3 modified SBP by BrunauerEmmett-Teller analysis, smaller surface area is the result of iron modification. Morphological structure and elemental analysis were done by SEM-EDX and attached functional groups by FTIR spectroscopy. Coherency in data was checked by pseudo 1st and 2nd order kinetics model. Batch experimental study was done by observing variation of time by fixing other parameters. Highest removal was achieved by Modified Peanut shell Powder with 99.97% removal upon pH = 2, shaking time = 180 mints, shaking speed = 150 rpm, absorbent dose of 0.3 g, Cr (VI) conc = 20 mg/L. Removal of Cr (VI) using Modified Sugarcane Bagasse was 98.96% with Cr (VI) conc = 20 mg/L, absorbent dosage = 0.3 g, pH = 2, shaking speed = 150 rpm, shaking time = 180 mints. It was acknowledged from present experimental research that, FeCl3 modified peanut shell powder shows greater Cr (VI) removal efficiency as off sugarcane bagasse.