Adsorption of Chromium(VI) from Simulated Wastewater Using Colocasia esculenta Leaf and Petiole Fibers

Chromium(VI) is a highly toxic metal present in an aqueous environment and wastewater due to its high solubility with water. Meanwhile, Colocasia esculenta is a plant common in wetlands with significant biosorption chemical content. The biosorption capacity of taro leaves and petioles, untreated and treated, was considered using the standard addition method. Concerned parameter like contact time was investigated. A comparative study was also executed to know which among the studied biomasses performed the best. Findings of the study hitherto revealed that at 30 min, the untreated leaves and petioles reached their equilibrium, tallying 99.6798% ± 4.9376% removal and 99.5212% ± 2.9307% removal, respectively. However, results also reported that modification further enhanced the adsorption capacity with 99.9655% ± 0.4514% removal for treated leaves and 99.9889% ± 1.9876% removal for treated petioles. Furthermore, F-test confirmed that the biosorption efficiency of the two treated adsorbents is statistically equal but statistically higher than the efficiency of the two untreated adsorbents.