Efficient Cr<sup>6+</sup> Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization

Subhakesh Mishra; Prativa Kar; Anil Kumar Giri

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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Efficient Cr⁶⁺ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization

Subhakesh Mishra

, Prativa Kar^*

, Anil Kumar Giri

Published in American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology (Volume 11, Issue 4)

Received: 31 December 2025 Accepted: 19 January 2026 Published: 17 October 2026

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Abstract

This study investigated the biosorption of Cr⁶⁺from aqueous solution using a gelling derived activated bio-sorbent, with process conditions optimized through a Box–Behnken response surface design. The exhausted sorbent was characterized by SEM–EDX and FTIR to elucidate changes in surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups involved in chromium binding. A systematic series of experiments was performed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of pH, sorbent dosage, and contact time at a fixed initial Cr⁶⁺ concentration and ambient temperature on removal efficiency. Under statistically optimized conditions at neutral pH, the activated bio-sorbent exhibited a maximum uptake capacity of 92.34 mg g^-1, underscoring its strong affinity for hexavalent chromium and its promise for practical wastewater treatment. The Box–Behnken design provided a robust quantitative framework for model development, significance testing, and prediction of process behavior across the investigated operating window. Analysis of variance yielded an F-value of 10.67 and a p-value of 0.0025, confirming that the quadratic model was statistically significant and suitable for describing Cr⁶⁺ biosorption performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing this low-cost, gelling-based bio-sorbent as an efficient alternative to conventional adsorbents for chromium remediation. Future work should focus on regeneration and reuse, sorption–desorption cycling, and pilot-scale implementation, as well as integration with existing treatment trains to enhance process sustainability and support broader deployment in industrial effluent management systems. Attention to kinetic and equilibrium behavior, potential competing ions, and real effluent matrices will further clarify operational limits and guide translation from laboratory conditions to field practice successfully.

Published in	American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology (Volume 11, Issue 4) This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Translational Research, Biotechnology, and Sustainable Bio-Innovations
DOI	10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
Page(s)	399-412
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Optimization, Cr⁶⁺ Ion, Box-Behnken Design, Characterization

References

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APA Style

Mishra, S., Kar, P., Giri, A. K. (2026). Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 11(4), 399-412. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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ACS Style

Mishra, S.; Kar, P.; Giri, A. K. Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. Am. J. Sci. Eng. Technol. 2026, 11(4), 399-412. doi: 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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AMA Style

Mishra S, Kar P, Giri AK. Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. Am J Sci Eng Technol. 2026;11(4):399-412. doi: 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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@article{10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29,
  author = {Subhakesh Mishra and Prativa Kar and Anil Kumar Giri},
  title = {Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization},
  journal = {American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology},
  volume = {11},
  number = {4},
  pages = {399-412},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajset.20261104.29},
  abstract = {This study investigated the biosorption of Cr6+ from aqueous solution using a gelling derived activated bio-sorbent, with process conditions optimized through a Box–Behnken response surface design. The exhausted sorbent was characterized by SEM–EDX and FTIR to elucidate changes in surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups involved in chromium binding. A systematic series of experiments was performed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of pH, sorbent dosage, and contact time at a fixed initial Cr6+ concentration and ambient temperature on removal efficiency. Under statistically optimized conditions at neutral pH, the activated bio-sorbent exhibited a maximum uptake capacity of 92.34 mg g-1, underscoring its strong affinity for hexavalent chromium and its promise for practical wastewater treatment. The Box–Behnken design provided a robust quantitative framework for model development, significance testing, and prediction of process behavior across the investigated operating window. Analysis of variance yielded an F-value of 10.67 and a p-value of 0.0025, confirming that the quadratic model was statistically significant and suitable for describing Cr6+ biosorption performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing this low-cost, gelling-based bio-sorbent as an efficient alternative to conventional adsorbents for chromium remediation. Future work should focus on regeneration and reuse, sorption–desorption cycling, and pilot-scale implementation, as well as integration with existing treatment trains to enhance process sustainability and support broader deployment in industrial effluent management systems. Attention to kinetic and equilibrium behavior, potential competing ions, and real effluent matrices will further clarify operational limits and guide translation from laboratory conditions to field practice successfully.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization
AU  - Subhakesh Mishra
AU  - Prativa Kar
AU  - Anil Kumar Giri
Y1  - 2026/10/17
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
T2  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
JF  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
JO  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
SP  - 399
EP  - 412
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-8353
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
AB  - This study investigated the biosorption of Cr6+ from aqueous solution using a gelling derived activated bio-sorbent, with process conditions optimized through a Box–Behnken response surface design. The exhausted sorbent was characterized by SEM–EDX and FTIR to elucidate changes in surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups involved in chromium binding. A systematic series of experiments was performed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of pH, sorbent dosage, and contact time at a fixed initial Cr6+ concentration and ambient temperature on removal efficiency. Under statistically optimized conditions at neutral pH, the activated bio-sorbent exhibited a maximum uptake capacity of 92.34 mg g-1, underscoring its strong affinity for hexavalent chromium and its promise for practical wastewater treatment. The Box–Behnken design provided a robust quantitative framework for model development, significance testing, and prediction of process behavior across the investigated operating window. Analysis of variance yielded an F-value of 10.67 and a p-value of 0.0025, confirming that the quadratic model was statistically significant and suitable for describing Cr6+ biosorption performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing this low-cost, gelling-based bio-sorbent as an efficient alternative to conventional adsorbents for chromium remediation. Future work should focus on regeneration and reuse, sorption–desorption cycling, and pilot-scale implementation, as well as integration with existing treatment trains to enhance process sustainability and support broader deployment in industrial effluent management systems. Attention to kinetic and equilibrium behavior, potential competing ions, and real effluent matrices will further clarify operational limits and guide translation from laboratory conditions to field practice successfully.
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Subhakesh Mishra

Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences, Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology University, Gunupur, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5390-9436
Prativa Kar

Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences, Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology University, Gunupur, India

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5361-1129
Anil Kumar Giri

Department of Environmental Science, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, India

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9723-1881

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APA Style

Mishra, S., Kar, P., Giri, A. K. (2026). Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 11(4), 399-412. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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ACS Style

Mishra, S.; Kar, P.; Giri, A. K. Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. Am. J. Sci. Eng. Technol. 2026, 11(4), 399-412. doi: 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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AMA Style

Mishra S, Kar P, Giri AK. Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization. Am J Sci Eng Technol. 2026;11(4):399-412. doi: 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29

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@article{10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29,
  author = {Subhakesh Mishra and Prativa Kar and Anil Kumar Giri},
  title = {Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization},
  journal = {American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology},
  volume = {11},
  number = {4},
  pages = {399-412},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajset.20261104.29},
  abstract = {This study investigated the biosorption of Cr6+ from aqueous solution using a gelling derived activated bio-sorbent, with process conditions optimized through a Box–Behnken response surface design. The exhausted sorbent was characterized by SEM–EDX and FTIR to elucidate changes in surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups involved in chromium binding. A systematic series of experiments was performed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of pH, sorbent dosage, and contact time at a fixed initial Cr6+ concentration and ambient temperature on removal efficiency. Under statistically optimized conditions at neutral pH, the activated bio-sorbent exhibited a maximum uptake capacity of 92.34 mg g-1, underscoring its strong affinity for hexavalent chromium and its promise for practical wastewater treatment. The Box–Behnken design provided a robust quantitative framework for model development, significance testing, and prediction of process behavior across the investigated operating window. Analysis of variance yielded an F-value of 10.67 and a p-value of 0.0025, confirming that the quadratic model was statistically significant and suitable for describing Cr6+ biosorption performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing this low-cost, gelling-based bio-sorbent as an efficient alternative to conventional adsorbents for chromium remediation. Future work should focus on regeneration and reuse, sorption–desorption cycling, and pilot-scale implementation, as well as integration with existing treatment trains to enhance process sustainability and support broader deployment in industrial effluent management systems. Attention to kinetic and equilibrium behavior, potential competing ions, and real effluent matrices will further clarify operational limits and guide translation from laboratory conditions to field practice successfully.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Efficient Cr6+ Removal with Activated Bio-Sorbent: Process Optimization
AU  - Subhakesh Mishra
AU  - Prativa Kar
AU  - Anil Kumar Giri
Y1  - 2026/10/17
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
T2  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
JF  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
JO  - American Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
SP  - 399
EP  - 412
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-8353
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20261104.29
AB  - This study investigated the biosorption of Cr6+ from aqueous solution using a gelling derived activated bio-sorbent, with process conditions optimized through a Box–Behnken response surface design. The exhausted sorbent was characterized by SEM–EDX and FTIR to elucidate changes in surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups involved in chromium binding. A systematic series of experiments was performed to evaluate the main and interactive effects of pH, sorbent dosage, and contact time at a fixed initial Cr6+ concentration and ambient temperature on removal efficiency. Under statistically optimized conditions at neutral pH, the activated bio-sorbent exhibited a maximum uptake capacity of 92.34 mg g-1, underscoring its strong affinity for hexavalent chromium and its promise for practical wastewater treatment. The Box–Behnken design provided a robust quantitative framework for model development, significance testing, and prediction of process behavior across the investigated operating window. Analysis of variance yielded an F-value of 10.67 and a p-value of 0.0025, confirming that the quadratic model was statistically significant and suitable for describing Cr6+ biosorption performance. Overall, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing this low-cost, gelling-based bio-sorbent as an efficient alternative to conventional adsorbents for chromium remediation. Future work should focus on regeneration and reuse, sorption–desorption cycling, and pilot-scale implementation, as well as integration with existing treatment trains to enhance process sustainability and support broader deployment in industrial effluent management systems. Attention to kinetic and equilibrium behavior, potential competing ions, and real effluent matrices will further clarify operational limits and guide translation from laboratory conditions to field practice successfully.
VL  - 11
IS  - 4
ER  -

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