The removal of hexavalent chromium from water by ferrous sulfate

The redox reaction of hexavalent chromium and ferrous sulfate is investigated in his study. Hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic and mobile anion, could exist in raw water used as a public water supply due to the industrial chromium contamination of natural water or due to natural oxidation of trivalent chromium. Ferrous sulfate is one of the widely used coagulants in water treatment plants and has good reducing ability. Because of its reducing capacity, ferrous sulfate can be applied to remove hexavalent chromium from water. The required contact time to reach equilibrium, the effectiveness of Cr(VI) reduction at different initial pH, and the required ferrous sulfate dosage for complete reduction are investigated. The redox reaction can be completed within 10 minutes, allowing 30 mg/L of hexavalent chromium to react with stoichiometric dosage of ferrous sulfate in deionized water, regardless of the initial pH. The pH of the solution is depressed during the progress of the reaction due to the hydrolysis of the produced Fe(III) and Cr(III) ions from the reaction. Dissolved oxygen in water is found to interfere with the redox reaction by consuming ferrous ions when the initial pH of solutions is high. In deionized water, complete Cr(VI) reduction canmore » be achieved by applying excess ferrous sulfate under the condition of this study. It is also achievable when the raw water from Durham Water Treatment Plant is used as the reaction medium, without additional dosage of ferrous sulfate. Based on the results, simultaneous removal of hexavalent chromium in water treatment by applying ferrous sulfate as the coagulant is theoretically feasible.« less