Modelling of the Cr(VI) transport in typical soils of the North of Portugal

Abstract

Adsorption of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] onto a loamy sand soil was studied using batch and steady flow tests with contaminant solutions at pH 2, 5 and 7. In all the cases the adsorption of Cr(VI) decreased with increasing pH. The hexavalent chromium speciation and its presence as different oxyanions, according to the solution pH, were the main variables affecting the adsorption process. The influence of the ratio soil/solution concentration was also studied in flow systems at pH 2. Chromium retention increased with the increasing of its concentration in the influent solution.

A two-site adsorption model was fitted to the breakthrough curves of hexavalent chromium solutions in order to estimate the Freundlich (kF) and Langmuir (Smax) adsorption parameters, using CXTFIT code. These values were compared to those determined by batch tests and it was concluded that batch tests tended to underestimate these parameters. Nevertheless, they followed the same trend as the parameters determined in opened system, even when the pH of the initial solution was modified.