International Journal of Pollution Abatement Technology Vol.1 Issue 1 December 2012 Abhradip Pal et al., International Journal of Pollution Abatement Technology, 2012, 1(1)15-19 15-19 Abhradip Pal, Ardhendu Shekhar Chaudhury* Vinayaka Nagar, Old Mahabalipuram Road,Paiyanoor, Kancheepuram Dist,Chennai-603104, Tamil Nadu, India. Biosorption of chromium using Anabaena and Vetiveria Available at www.ijpat.info Research ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received on 11 July 2012 Received in revised form 17 August 2012 Accepted 19 September 2012 Keywords: Biosorption, elution studies, Vetiveria sp., Anabaena sp. ABSTRACT Chromium plating is one of the most widely used forms of electroplating and it constitutes important source of heavy and toxic metal discharges into the waste water lines. In the present study low cost and biosorbents were used viz., Anabaena and Vetiveria. Biosorption phenomenon is more or less like a chemical reaction and so several parameters are bound to affect the process. These are nature and structure of microbial layers, the physi- ological state of the cell, pH of the medium, contact time, microbial growth conditions, temperature, ionic speciation, concentration of biomass and concerned metal and so on. A maximum of 87.03 % of Cr (VI) removal was obtained by Anabaena sp. as compared to 84.32 % by Vetiveria sp. at a low contact time of 60 mins. The data obtained from the experiments and modeling would prove useful in designing and fabricating an efficient treatment plant for Cr (VI) rich effluent. Copyright 2012 JPR solutions India Ltd. All rights reserved. *Corresponding author : Ardhendu Shekhar Chaudhury , E-mail address: ad.ardhendu@ gmail.com INTRODUCTION The treatment of waste water containing heavy metals is a challenging prob- lem. Chromium is an essential nutrient for plant and animal metabolism. However, when accumulated at high levels, it can generate serious trouble and diseases [1]. Chromium in particular has received a great deal of atten- tion. The increased environmental burden of Cr (VI) may come from various industrial sources like those from electroplating, leather tanning, textiles and metal finishing industries, ceramics, fungicides, fertilizers [1- 4]. Therefore the presence of heavy metals in wastewater is not only of great environmen- tal concern but it also strongly reduces microbial activity, thereby, adversely affecting biological wastewater treatment processes [3, 4]. Chromium plat- ing deposition by galvanization is hard, wear-resistant and thus provides a good resistance to corrosion. Chrome plating involves formation of a coating on metal surface to prevent their oxidation. Chromium plating properly resists the corrosive effects of gases, acids (except hydrochloric acid and hydrogen fluoride), salts, bases. Copper, chromium and arsenic are all heavy metals which means that they are metallic chemical elements that have a high density and are toxic to humans at very low concentrations [5]. Unlike Cr (III) which passes through cell walls with a very low efficiency, Cr (VI) readily crosses cell membranes and can produce a number of potentially mutagenic effects. Hexavalent chromium is a mutagen, carcinogen and terato- gen [6]. Chromium VI can enter the human body through three exposure routes: inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. Inhalation of Cr (VI) containing compounds can produce severe health affects that differ according to the solubility of the compound. In industrial workers, inhalation of Cr (VI) has been shown to produce asthma, with intermediate to chronic duration expo- sure causing an increased risk of death due to respiratory disease. Absorption of Cr(VI) occurs much more efficiently than Cr(III), but it is estimated that 5% or less of ingested Cr(VI) is actually absorbed [7]. Epigastric pain, nau- sea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and hemorrhage are other deadly consequences of Cr(VI) contamination [8]. Minimal epidemiology data are available to evaluate the effects of ingesting Cr (VI) compounds at levels typically found in the environment. An increase in body burden from ingestion of chromium has been observed in animal studies. Inhalation of hexavalent chromium may lead to allergic manifestations including dermatitis [7]. The permissible limit of Cr (VI) in drinking water is 50μg/L and total Cr is 100μg/L [9]. There are various technologies available for the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions including ion exchange, solvent extraction, chemical pre- cipitation etc. [10-11]. But these methods are cost intensive and are unaffordable for large scale treatment of waste water rich in Cr (VI) as compared to biological removal processes which have been attracting consid- erable attention for removing heavy metals from aqueous wastes and screen- ing for microorganisms with higher potential for removing heavy metals from wastes [12]. The major advantages of biosorption over conventional treat- ment methods include low cost; high efficiency; minimization of chemical