Effect of Humic Acid on the Removal of Chromium(VI) and the Production of Solids in Iron Electrocoagulation

Pan, Chao; Troyer, Lyndsay D.; Liao, Peng; Catalano, Jeffrey G.; Li, Wenlu; Giammar, Daniel E.

doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b00371

Effect of Humic Acid on the Removal of Chromium(VI) and the Production of Solids in Iron Electrocoagulation

Journal Article · Mon May 22 00:00:00 UTC 2017 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b00371· OSTI ID:1438854

Pan, Chao; Troyer, Lyndsay D.; ^[1]; ; ;

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Shi, Guangdong Sheng 518055, P. R. China

Iron-based electrocoagulation can be highly effective for Cr(VI) removal from water supplies. However, the presence of humic acid (HA) inhibited the rate of Cr(VI) removal in electrocoagulation, with the greatest decreases in Cr(VI) removal rate at higher pH. This inhibition was probably due to the formation of Fe(II) complexes with HA that are more rapidly oxidized than uncomplexed Fe(II) by dissolved oxygen, making less Fe(II) available for reduction of Cr(VI). Close association of Fe(III), Cr(III), and HA in the solid products formed during electrocoagulation influenced the fate of both Cr(III) and HA. At pH 8, the solid products were colloids (1–200 nm) with Cr(III) and HA concentrations in the filtered fraction being quite high, while at pH 6 these concentrations were low due to aggregation of small particles. In our work, X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy indicated that the iron oxides produced were a mixture of lepidocrocite and ferrihydrite, with the proportion of ferrihydrite increasing in the presence of HA. Cr(VI) was completely reduced to Cr(III) in electrocoagulation, and the coordination environment of the Cr(III) in the solids was similar regardless of the humic acid loading, pH, and dissolved oxygen level.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 1438854

Journal Information:: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 51; ISSN 0013-936X

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: ENGLISH

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