Abstract:
Chromium (Cr) has been extensively used in many industrial applications. Inappropriate
disposal of effluent has led to increased Cr concentrations in the environment.
As a result, Cr(VI) has been classified under strict control measures by
most national and international lists of highly toxic materials. Bioremediation of
Cr(VI)-contaminated effluents appears to be a more economical and environment-
friendly treatment method. This study investigates Cr(VI) removal in a
bench-scale bioreactor using municipal dried sludge as a permeable bioreactive
barrier. The 20-cm-thick permeable bioreactive barrier with 30% sludge and 70%
sand was able to achieve 95% Cr(VI) removal during 90 operational days, demonstrating
the effectiveness of the biological permeable reactive barrier system in
treating Cr(VI)-containing process effluent streams.
