Removal of Chromium from Drinking Water Samples by Using the Natural Adsorbent

Chromium is main environmental pollutants and has been documented to be harmful to fauna, flora, and human being. This element and its compounds can be discharged in surface water by way or other through various industries. Chromium species are present in drinking water during the refinery processing of the petrochemical industries. Chromium is mainly present in two valences, Chromium (+III) and Chromium (+ VI). Several clay minerals were used as natural adsorbents for removal of Chromium from ten drinking water samples. The natural adsorbents were used because they are safe, non flammable, odorless, non soluble, non corrosive materials and as low cost adsorbent material. The clay minerals were used are Kaolinite, Montmorillonite, Illite, Chlorite, and Vermiculite. These natural adsorbents were collected from the south of Libya. In order to determinate the total amount of the Chromium in each investigated water samples. Two special methods were performed A. S. T. M, which is a UV visible Spectrohotometric procedure and Atomic absorption method. Different approaches for the separation of water in low concentration Chromium have been investigated. Parameters such as, effect of pH, effective contact time and effect of mass were investigated and determined. The adsorbents showed a good sorption potential for the Chromium. The quantity of adsorbed Chromuim ranges from 37 % to 68 %. The maximum amount of Chromium adsorbed was at 1g weight and pH 2. The obtained data showed that levels of the Chromium were very high for samples taken from points adjacent to the petrochemical plants during the last ten years.