Use of Salvinia sp on the adsorption of hexavalent chromium

The remotion of hexavalent chromium in the form of chromate in aqueous solution was done using the aquatic plant Salvinia sp as biosorbent. The chemical modification of the Salvinia surface was performed by organosolv adapted method. The untreated Salvinia and the modified were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, Boehm titration, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive system, point of zero charge, surface area analysis, and porosity. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to observe the effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration, and temperature on the metal removal process. The characterization results show the chemistry modifically changed the modified Salvinia structure compared with untreated Salvinia. The adsorption test results showed the maximum adsorption capacity of 26.03 mg g⁻¹. The kinetic equilibrium was reached in about 3 h, and the better temperature and pH were 298 K and 7, respectively. The adsorption and kinetic models were Freundlich and pseud-second order, respectively. This study showed the Salvinia sp after the chemical treatment can be used with biosorbent for hexavalent chromate in the form of chromate, being a natural material with low cost and plentiful in the environment.