REMOVAL OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM USING SPHAGNUM MOSS PEAT

Batch adsorption studies have shown that sphagnum moss peat, which is essentially oligotrophic, in concentrations ranging from 4 to 40 g/l can be used effectively to remove hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. The process is pH dependent, the optimum range being 1.5-3. Treatment of the exhausted peat with 1 M NaOH removed only 50% of the sorbed metal, suggesting that the binding to the peat involved strong chemisorption forces.