Hydroponic greenhouse studies were used to investigate the effect of four anthropogenic pollutants (perchlorate (ClO4-), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), and hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI))) on the biological control agent Diorhabda elongata Brullé. Contaminant concentrations were quantified for experimental Tamarix ramosissima Ledab. plants and D. elongata beetles. Growth of larvae was significantly reduced by Se contamination, but was not affected by the presence of perchlorate, Mn, or Cr (VI). All of the contaminants were transferred from plants to D. elongata beetles. Only Cr (VI) was accumulated at greater levels in beetles than in their food. Because T. ramosissima grows in disturbed areas, acquires salts readily, and utilizes groundwater, this plant is likely to accumulate anthropogenic pollutants in contaminated areas. This study is one of the first to investigate the potential of an anthropogenic pollutant to influence a weed biological control system.

The interaction between hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), as K₂CrO₄, and standard humic acids (HAs) in bulk solution was studied using three complementary analytical methods: UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and differential pulse stripping voltammetry. The observed UV-Vis and X-ray absorption spectra showed that, under our experimental conditions, HAs did not induce reduction of Cr(VI) to its trivalent chemical form. The interaction between Cr(VI) and HAs has rather led to the formation of Cr(VI)-HAs micelles via supramolecular chemical processes. The reported results could contribute towards explaining the relative persistence of ecotoxic hexavalent chromium in soils. Humic acids (HAs) did not induce reduction of Cr(VI) to its trivalent chemical form, as the interaction between Cr(VI) and HAs rather led to the formation of Cr(VI)-HAs micelles via supramolecular chemical processes.

Industrial wastes generated from tanneries located in the southwestern part of Dhaka, pose serious threat to the environment. Surface accumulation of trivalent chromium reaching as high as 28,000 mg/kg have been encountered at 1 km distance from the waste lagoon. In contrast, maximum concentration of hexavalent chromium is about 1 mg/kg, and is very irregularly distributed all over the area. Although soil pH is alkaline in general, a sharp drop of pH down to 3.4 has been observed at some locations. Furthermore, high chloride (Cl) and lead (Pb) concentrations pose risk for city's groundwater quality, of which Pb is vulnerable for any chelate-assisted phytoremediation as it can enhance its mobility. Scanning electron microscope study showed chromium within the structure of clay minerals, mainly illite-smectite, and also as chlorite-chromian. Presence of lepidocrocite indicates a rather reactive phase which can undergo reductive dissolution and release Cr in the environment.

The main purpose of this work was to conduct a kinetic study on cell growth and hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] removal by Candida sp. FGSFEP in a concentric draft-tube airlift bioreactor. The yeast was batch-cultivated in a 5.2-l airlift bioreactor containing culture medium with an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 1.5 mM. The maximum specific growth rate of Candida sp. FGSFEP in the airlift bioreactor was 0.0244 h⁻¹, which was 71.83% higher than that obtained in flasks. The yeast strain was capable of reducing 1.5 mM Cr(VI) completely and exhibited a high volumetric rate [1.64 mg Cr(VI) l⁻¹ h⁻¹], specific rate [0.95 mg Cr(VI) g⁻¹ biomass h⁻¹] and capacity [44.38 mg Cr(VI) g⁻¹ biomass] of Cr(VI) reduction in the airlift bioreactor, with values higher than those obtained in flasks. Therefore, culture of Candida sp. FGSFEP in a concentric draft-tube airlift bioreactor could be a promising technological alternative for the aerobic treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated industrial effluents.

Chemical reduction of the hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), present in contaminated soil and groundwater was carried out in a slurry reactor under dynamic conditions (120 rpm and 25°C) using different reductants [ferrous sulphate (Fe(II))], sodium bisulphite, sucrose, ascorbic acid and zerovalent iron (ZVI)] in order to evaluate the influence of the reductant on the redox process. Chemical analysis of the contaminated soil revealed a Cr(VI) concentration of 528 ± 31 mg kg⁻¹. Batch studies under dynamic conditions (slurry reactor) using different [Cr(VI)]/[reductant] molar ratios revealed that only Fe(II) and ZVI species can promote both reduction of Cr(VI) and immobilisation of Cr(III) (formation of an insoluble hydroxide compound). It was verified that 1.0 g of ZVI is capable of converting 104 ± 5 mg of Cr(VI) in Cr(III). A kinetic redox study was carried out using ZVI in different conditions. In all cases, it was verified that Cr(VI) reduction follows a pseudo-first-order kinetic behaviour. The dependence of the pseudo-first-order kinetic rate constant, k obs, on [ZVI] indicates that the redox process taking place in the slurry reactor is rather complex. A phenomenological kinetic equation for the redox process taking place in the slurry reactor was presented in order to describe the behaviour of k obs under non-ideal conditions.

In Tabasco the petroleum industry pollutes soil recurrently by oil spills. We analysed Pb, V, Ni and Cr concentrations in water samples, and total metal contents and metal fractions in soil samples of contaminated and non-contaminated soils and in sediments. Besides, we determined Eh, pH, DOC and major ions in water and Eh, pH, Corg in soils and sediments. Sediments contained considerably larger heavy metal (HM) concentrations than soils. Local background concentrations of V, Ni and Cr in soils are larger than global means and oil spillages have not added these metals in quantities that exceed the natural variation. Spillage of formation water increases Pb concentrations in soils, particularly in mobile fractions. The contribution of the oil industry to HM loads is diluted by large fluvial water and sediment discharges and difficult to assess by comparison of total metal contents. Therefore, easily mobile metal fractions are much better indicators.

In this study, a high-rate fibre filter was used as a pre-treatment to stormwater in conjunction with in-line flocculation. The effect of operating the fibre filter with different packing densities (105, 115 and 125 kg/m³) and filtration velocities (20, 40, 60 m/h) with and without in-line flocculation was investigated. In-line flocculation was provided using 5, 10 and 15 mg/L of ferric chloride (FeCl₃·6H₂O). The filter performance was studied in terms of pressure drop (ΔP), solids removal efficiency, heavy metals (total) removal efficiency and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. It is found that the use of in-line flocculation at a dose of 15 mg/L improved the performance of fibre filter as measured by turbidity removal (95%), total suspended solids reduction (98%), colour removal efficiency (99%), TOC removal (reduced by 30-40 %) and total coliform removal (93%). The modified fouling index reduced from 750-950 to 12 s/L² proving that fibre filter can be an excellent pre-treatment to membrane filtration that may be consider as post-treatment. The removal efficiency of heavy metal was variable as their concentration in raw water was small. Even though the concentration of some of these metals such as iron, aluminium, copper and zinc were reduced, others like nickel, chromium and cadmium showed lower removal rates.

Cr(VI) is a well-known highly toxic metal, considered a priority pollutant. Industrial sources of Cr(VI) include leather tanning, cooling tower blowdown, plating, electroplating, anodizing baths, rinse waters, etc. This article includes a survey of removal techniques for Cr(VI)-contaminated aqueous solutions. A particular focus is given to adsorption, membrane filtration, ion exchange, and electrochemical treatment methods. The primary objective of this article is to provide recent information about the most widely used techniques for Cr(VI) removal.

Desorption of Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn from industrially polluted soils as a result of acidification is in focus. The eight soils of the investigation vary greatly in composition and heavy metal concentration/combination. Three soils had elevated concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn; regardless of pollution level, pollution origin, and soil type, the order for desorption as pH decreased was Zn > Cu > Pb. Turning to a single heavy metal in different soils, there was a huge difference in the pH at which the major desorption started. The variation was most significant for Pb where, e.g., less than 10% was desorbed at pH 2.5 from one soil, whereas in another soil 60% Pb was desorbed at this pH. Sequential extraction was made and the soils in which a high percentage of Pb was found in the residual phase (adsorbed strongest) was also the soils where less Pb was desorbed at low pH in the desorption experiments. It was evident that Cu, Pb, and Zn started to desorb at a higher pH from calcareous soils than from soils with low carbonate content. The mechanism responsible for this is co-precipitation of heavy metals in the carbonates. When the carbonates are dissolved at a relatively high pH of about 5, the co-precipitated heavy metals are released. The sequential extraction pattern for Cr differed generally much from the other heavy metals since the majority of Cr was extracted in the last two steps. Cr was also the heavy metal that desorbed the least at high acidification.

Chemical remediation of soil and groundwater containing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was carried out under batch and semi-batch conditions using different iron species: (Fe(II) (sulphate solution); Fe⁰ G (granulated elemental iron); ZVIne (non-stabilized zerovalent iron) and ZVIcol (colloidal zerovalent iron). ZVIcol was synthesized using different experimental conditions with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and ultra-sound. Chemical analysis revealed that the contaminated soil (frank clay sandy texture) presented an average Cr(VI) concentration of 456 ± 35 mg kg⁻¹. Remediation studies carried out under batch conditions indicated that 1.00 g of ZVIcol leads to a chemical reduction of ~280 mg of Cr(VI). Considering the fractions of Cr(VI) present in soil (labile, exchangeable and insoluble), it was noted that after treatment with ZVIcol (semi-batch conditions and pH 5) only 2.5% of these species were not reduced. A comparative study using iron species was carried out in order to evaluate the reduction potentialities exhibited by ZVIcol. Results obtained under batch and semi-batch conditions indicate that application of ZVIcol for the “in situ” remediation of soil and groundwater containing Cr(VI) constitutes a promising technology.