Development of a Cr(VI) Treatment System Using Bacterial Cellulose Biomass and Eichhornia crassipes

The indiscriminate discharge of heavy metals into bodies of water leads to the loss of their ecosystem services, affecting adjacent communities. An example of this is the discharge of industrial wastewater into the Tunjuelo River, south of Bogotá, which contains high concentrations of Cr(VI) and has had serious consequences in recent decades. Therefore, research has focused on the use of contaminant-adsorbing biomass, and a continuous-flow treatment of contaminated water has been tested to remove various heavy metals, such as chromium, mercury, and cadmium, using adsorbent biomasses of E. crassipes and bacterial cellulose. The combination of these biomasses would generate an ideal composite material due to the excellent adsorption capacity of bacterial cellulose and the support provided by the E. crassipes biomass, allowing for reuse through different elution processes. Using adsorption models, designs were developed to ensure adequate treatment of Cr(VI). Using these models, a treatment system was designed with different combinations of these biomasses, in which biomass (a) achieved 23.3 g of Cr(VI) removed per dollar, including the cumulative adsorption capacities, EDTA elutions, and reuses. It was concluded that this treatment system with these two biomasses is ideal for generating alternative treatments for heavy metals, especially Cr(VI).