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The capacity of Prunus serotina bark lo remove hexa-valent chromium [Cr(VI)] and total chromium from acidic aqueous solutions was investigated. P. serotina bark exhibited high Cr(VI) removal capacity (93.61 mg g-1) as well as total chromium removal capacity (69.93 mg g-1). The mechanism of Cr(VI) removal by P. serotina bark implies two simultaneous processes: 1) the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(IU) in the presence of P. serotina bark in an aqueous acidic solution, and 2) the biosorption of chromium ions. The kinetic model that satisfactorily described the chromium biosorption process from the Cr(VI) solution was the pseudo second-order model. The experimental results suggest that P. serotina bark biosorbed chromium ions predominantly by a chemical sorption phenomenon. The results of this work underline that P. serotina bark may be used as an effective and low-cost biomaterial for the removal of both Cr(VI) and total chromium from polluted water and wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the potential of Schinus molle bark to remove hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and total chromium from aqueous solutions. Results showed that Schinus molle bark removed Cr(VI) by two different mechanisms: chromium biosorption and bioreduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The capacity for removing Cr(VI) and total chromium gradually increased as the contact time proceeded, reaching values of 97.56 and 73.18 mg g' respectively, after 120 h. The opposite behavior was observed concerning the volumetric rates of Cr(VI) and total chromium removal. The pseudo-second order model adequately described the kinetic process of chromium biosorption by Schinus molle bark, which suggests that this process chiefly occurs as a result of chemisorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]