Wastewater remediation using a spiral shaped reactor for photochemical reduction of hexavalent chromium.

The hexavalent chromium contained in wastewater of some industries is toxic to most microorganisms and potentially harmful to human health. The application of photochemical reduction of Cr(VI) in the treatment of wastewater from the electroplating industry was studied, and a continuous reactor in spiral shape made of borosilicate was designed and constructed (SSR). The statistical model of a circumscribed central composite design (CCCD) was used to investigate the influence of the amount of ethanol and the initial concentration of hexavalent chromium on total Cr(VI) reduction. A total Cr(VI) reduction of 46.0% was achieved under the optimal conditions established by the experimental design, using a synthetic Cr(VI) solution. In addition, the photochemical reduction of Cr(VI) follows pseudo first-order kinetics. The SSR exhibited similar behavior to that of the plug flow reactor (PFR), and presented higher photonic efficiency than the batch reactor. Finally, the designed reactor was effective when applied to real wastewater, showing a total Cr(VI) reduction of 51.8%, and its configuration is suitable for scale up.