Biosorption of chromium (VI) from aqueous solution by seed powder of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica L.) fruits

ABSTRACT

The solid residue of the cold press oil extraction from prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica L.) fruit seeds was evaluated as a low-cost biosorbent for biosorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were conducted as a function of initial pH, contact time, biosorbent dose, initial Cr(VI) concentration, and temperature. Biosorption was highly pH-dependent and found to be maximum at pH 1.0. Langmuir and Freundlich equations fitted very well with experimental data. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was 19.61 mg/g at 298 K and pH 1.0. Biosorption kinetics was controlled by the pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that biosorption of Cr(VI) was a spontaneous, favorable and endothermic process. The activation energy was found to be 40.68 kJ.mol⁻¹.

KEYWORDS:

• Hexavalent chromium
• biosorption
• prickly pear fruit seeds
• kinetics
• thermodynamics