EDDS-assisted reduction of Cr(VI) by nanoscale zero-valent iron

In the reduction of Cr(VI) by nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), the reactivity of nZVI drops overtime due to surface passivation, which severely inhibits its effective utilization. This study investigated the effect of EDDS (ethylene diamine disuccinic acid) on the Cr(VI) reduction by nZVI at different pH (5.6, 7.0 and 9.0) and the underlying mechanisms. The removal of Cr(VI) by nZVI increased from around 60–100% as the concentration of EDDS increased from 0 to 4–5 mM at pH 5.6–7.0. It was proposed that the EDDS chelated with the generated Cr(III)/Fe(III) and inhibited their co-precipitation onto nZVI surface. However, under alkaline condition (pH 9.0), the EDDS slightly decreased the Cr(VI) reduction, which was due to the fact that the EDDS facilitated the reaction between nZVI/Fe(II) with dissolved oxygen (DO) in the solution. In the absence of DO, a similar positive effect of EDDS on Cr(VI) reduction was observed at pH 9.0 as that at pH 5.6–7.0. Additionally, it was found that the EDDS could significantly increase the kinetics of nZVI corrosion in deionized water. These results demonstrate that EDDS could be used effectively as a chelating agent for inhibiting the surface passivation and increasing the effective utilization of nZVI.