REDUCTION

OF
HEXAVALENT
CHROMIUM

T THE END OF THE PRESENTATION,

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND :

WHAT IS CHROMIUM
HOW HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IS FORME
WHERE THIS SUBSTANCE CAN BE FOUND
WHY HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IS
DANGEROUS
HOW TO REDUCE THE HEXAVALENT
CHROMIUM

INTRODUCTION TO CHROMIUM
Atomic number 24
A hard silver metal used in stainless steel and other alloys

TRIVALENT FORM
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT FOR HUMANS
NON-TOXIC

HEXAVALENT FORM
- FOUND IN STEEL, CHEMICAL, LEATHER AND
TEXTILE MANUFACTURING
- WATER AND SOIL POLLUTION
- DANGER TO HUMAN HEALTH
ALTER GENETIC MATERIAL
CARCINOGENIC
ORGAN DAMAGE
FATAL

WHERE HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM / Cr (IV)

CAN BE FOUND?

DYES AND PIGMENTS

WELDING FUMES

METAL COATING & PROTECTIVE PAINT

Methods to detect Cr (III) and

Cr(VI)
ATOMIC
ABSORPTION
(AA)
SPECTOMETRY

ION EXCHANGE
CHROMATOGRAPH
Y

HEALTH EFFECTS
INGESTION HAZARDS
- Erosive to stomach
EYES
- Permanent eye damage when direct contact with
chromic acid or chromate dusts
RESPIRATORY TRACT
- Hexavalent chromium can irritate nose, throat
and lungs
- Ulcers in nasal
SKIN
- Dermatitis and skin ulcers
- Worker that sensitive to chromium will cause
serious skin rash even in small amount

CANCER and FATAL

HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM WASTE

TREATMENT

There are 2-stages of treatment:

STAGE 1 Reduce Chromium (VI) to Chromium (I
STAGE 2 - Neutralization

FIRST STAGE

Reduce chromium (VI) to chromium (III)

Using reducing agents:
Sulfur dioxide,
Sodium bisulphate,
Or sodium-meta-bisulfite

Acid : Sulphuric
acid

SECOND STAGE
(Neutralization)

Adding Calcium
hydroxide (lime) to the
wastewater
Increase and maintain
pH of 8.0 or higher
For the precipitation of
chromium hydroxide to
occur.

Then, the precipitate

can be easily
separated
(flocculation,
coagulation and
sedimentation) and
then dispose

Collected as
sludge

Main disadvantages of this

treatment method are:
Need to reduce wastewater pH between 2
and 3 to assure rapid and complete
reduction.
The acidic wastewater need to be
neutralized before discharge.
These steps consume large amount of
chemicals and tend to increase the
volume of sludge with unreacted
precipitants.

END OF TOPIC