Enhanced chromium(VI) treatment in electroactive constructed wetlands: influence of conductive material

Pratiksha Srivastava, Rouzbeh Abbassi, Asheesh Kumar Yadav, Vikram Garaniya, Naresh Kumar, Stuart J. Khan, Trevor Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A constructed wetland (CW) microcosm based on conductive graphite gravel was investigated for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) treatment from synthetic wastewater. Its performance was evaluated and compared with a traditional gravel-based CW microcosm. The microcosms were operated at varying initial Cr(VI) concentrations (5−20 mg/L) and hydraulic retention times (HRT) (3–7.5 h). Near complete treatment (99.9 ± 0.06 %) was achieved in the graphite-based microcosm throughout the experiment. The performance was consistently high throughout with 42.9 % improvement in Cr (VI) treatment compared to a traditional gravel microcosm. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analysis indicated that chromium was adsorbed to microbial biofilms. Moreover, microbial diversity profiling suggested that the microbial population in both microcosms differed in diversity and communities. The results suggest that the use of conductive materials in CW significantly enhances the treatment of Cr(VI) and more importantly, allows microbial activity even at high levels of Cr(VI) in the CW.

Original languageEnglish
Article number121722
Pages (from-to)1-12
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Hazardous Materials
Volume387
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Apr 2020

Keywords

  • Constructed wetland
  • Electro-wetland
  • Bioelectrochemical systems
  • Chromium treatment
  • Electron transfer

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