Biosorption of chromium (VI) by a mediterranean biomass: Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile
The marine biomass Posidonia oceanica (L.) fibres were used as a novel low cost biological adsorbent for the removal of hexavalent chromium from artificially contaminated aqueous solutions. Experiments were carried out for sorption kinetics and isotherms in a batch system. The operating variables studied were pH, temperature, biomass quantity and initial chrome concentration. The maximum adsorption removal was observed at pH 2. The biosorption capacity of P. oceanica fibres for Cr(VI) was enhanced by increasing the temperature, the biosorbent amount and initial chromium concentration. The isotherm adsorption data were satisfactorily found to be described by both Redlich-Peterson and Langmuir. Besides, the thermodynamic studies revealed that the present adsorption process is a favourable, endothermic and spontaneous phenomenon.