A comparative study of chromium(VI) removal using sawdust and eucalyptus bark

A comparative study on low cost biological adsorbents such as eucalyptus bark and sawdust has analyzed them for their effectiveness in the removal of hexavalent chromium. Batch experiments were carried out on synthetic solutions mimicking bore water collected from an industrial area contaminated with tannery effluent. The analysis on hexavalent chromium removal was carried out by varying experimental parameters such as pH, dosage and contact time. The study reveals that sawdust works best at pH 3 while eucalyptus shows better results at pH 2. Moreover, the optimum dosages determined for the absorbents were in compliance with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The study highlights the benefits of eucalyptus bark in purification of Cr(VI) contaminated water supply.