Deepika Choudhari, Neetu Shorgar, Arti Dubey and Dipak Sharma
Abstract
The increasing industrialization and urbanization of modern society have led to the release of numerous environmental pollutants, with heavy metals, particularly hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health. This study focuses on the biosorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions, emphasizing the investigation of kinetics and equilibrium characteristics. Biosorption, using Activated Jatropha Husk Carbon as the adsorbent, emerges as an economical and eco-friendly technology for efficient heavy metal removal. The study involved material preparation, characterization using FT-IR, SEM, and XRD techniques, and batch adsorption experiments. Results demonstrated that the adsorption of Cr(VI) depends on various factors, such as initial concentration, pH, temperature, and adsorbent dosage. The kinetics analysis revealed that the process follows a pseudo second-order model. The adsorption isotherms were well-described by the Freundlich model, indicating the heterogeneous nature of the adsorption process. This research establishes Activated Jatropha Husk Carbon as a promising and cost effective adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal from wastewater, offering potential solutions to combat this environmental challenge.