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Interplay of transport processes and interfacial chemistry affecting chromium reduction and reoxidation with iron and manganese

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Abstract

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a water-soluble pollutant in soil and groundwater, the mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of which can be controlled by transforming to less mobile and more environmentally benign Cr(III) by ways of reduction. This review focused on recent advances in identifying the reaction pathways, kinetics, and products of iron-based techniques for Cr(VI) removal. It also examines new information regarding remobilization of Cr(III) in the existence of complexing ligands and manganese (Mn) of different oxidation states. A range of iron-based techniques can remove Cr(VI) from water by adsorption or reduction-coprecipitation processes. However, the success of a chromium treatment or remediation strategy requires the stability of the Cr(III)-containing solids with respect to solubilization or reoxidation in the settings they are generated. Manganese is ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial environments, and the redox cycling of manganese may greatly influence the fate, transport, and distribution of chromium. Coupling of redox reactions of chromium, iron, and manganese involves reaction pathways not only in the aqueous phase but also at solid-aqueous interfaces. To provide a quantitative understanding of these processes, it is essential to develop mechanistically based kinetic and transport models. Continued research should be made on iron-based treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated water and soils and the stability of the subsequently produced Cr (III)-containing solids at environmentally relevant conditions, which will support improved predictions of chromium’s environmental fate and transport and aid in decision-making for remediation and treatment of Cr contamination.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the US National Science Foundation (CBET 1603717, CHE 1709484).

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  1. Chao Pan

    Present address: Present affiliation: Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical & Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Chao Pan & Daniel Giammar

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  1. Chao Pan
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  2. Daniel Giammar
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Correspondence to Chao Pan.

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Highlights

• Cr(VI) can be removed by iron-based adsorption, reduction and precipitation.

• Surface-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles are promising adsorbents for Cr(VI).

• Surface complexation modeling provides quantitative predicts for Cr(VI) adsorption.

• Cr(III) can be remobilized in the presence of Mn (II, III, IV) at certain conditions.

Dr. Chao Pan received her Ph.D. degree from Washignton University in St. Louis in 2017. She joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a postdoctoral research associate in 2018. She is interested in diverse aspects of aquatic geochmical processes, especially the fate and transport of heavy metals and radionuclides at solidwater interfaces.

Dr. Daniel Giammar is the Walter E. Browne Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He completed his B.S. at Carnegie Mellon University, M.S. and Ph.D. at Caltech, and postdoctoral training at Princeton University. His research group focuses on chemical reactions that affect the fate and transport of heavy metals, radionuclides, and other inorganic constituents in natural and engineered aquatic systems.

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Pan, C., Giammar, D. Interplay of transport processes and interfacial chemistry affecting chromium reduction and reoxidation with iron and manganese. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 14, 81 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1260-y

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