Development of a treatment for water contaminated with Cr (VI) using cellulose xanthogenate from E. crassipes on a pilot scale

Abstract Water care is an imperative duty in industries with effluents loaded with pollutants such as heavy metals, especially chromium (VI), extremely dangerous for humans and the environment. One way of treating water is possible through a continuous system with dry and crushed vegetable biomass of cellulose xanthogenate because it can adsorb heavy metals, especially due to its low production costs. Through continuous systems and with the waste of PET plastics, it is possible to develop a water treatment process adapting this system and biomass. The objective of this research is the development of a treatment for water contaminated with Cr (VI) using cellulose xanthogenate from E. crassipes on a pilot scale. Where a mass balance conducted to determine the adsorption capacity of this heavy metal, corroborating it through the Thomas model. The treatment process eliminated around 95% of Cr (VI) present in the water, in addition, biomass reuse cycles carried out, which maintained a considerable adsorption capacity in all the cycles conducted through EDTA reagent.