title: Kinetics of the reduction of hexavalent chromium with the brown seaweed Ecklonia biomass.
abstract: The dead biomass of the brown seaweed, Ecklonia sp., is capable of reducing toxic Cr(VI) into less toxic or nontoxic Cr(III). However, little is known about the mechanism of Cr(VI) reduction by the biomass. The objective of this work was to develop a kinetic model for Cr(VI) biosorption, for supporting our mechanism. The reduction rate of Cr(VI) increased with increasing total chromate concentration, [Cr(VI)], and equivalent concentration of organic compounds, [OCs], and decreasing solution pH. It was found that the reduction rate of Cr(VI) was proportional to [Cr(VI)] and [OCs], suggesting the simple kinetic equation -d[Cr(VI)]/dt=k[Cr(VI)][OCs]. When considering the consumption of organic compounds due to the oxidation by Cr(VI), an average rate coefficient of 9.33 (+/-0.65)microM(-1)h(-1) was determined, at pH 2. Although the function of the pH could not be expressed in a mechanistic manner, an empirical model able to describe the pH dependence was obtained. It is expected that the developed rate equation could likely be used for design and performance predictions of biosorption processes for treating chromate wastewaters.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Research Center, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Donghee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yeoung-Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Chi Kyu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jong Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D000459:Phaeophyceae; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002857:Chromium; C074702:chromium hexavalent ion