Elisa NAVARRO-Flores Research Assistant,  Biosorption

Contact Points: Phone: Fax: E-mail: Lab:  7300 Wong, Enviro-Biotech Office: Rm. 7280 Wong Building  Department of Chemical Engineering  McGill  University 3610 University Street  Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B2

Research Project:  "Ionic Strength Effect of Chromate Ion Biosorption"

Abstract
            Crab-shells with their high chitin content make for an excellent biosorbent material particularly suited for sequestering anionic metal species such as chromate Cr(VI) known for its toxicity.  Experimental determination of equilibrium batch sorption isotherms for Cr(VI) and crab-shell material served as a basis for assessing the effect of solution ionic strength as (as NaCl) on the biosorption process performance.  The fitted data, smoothed by using the Langmuir-type sorption model, were eventually used to plot a 3-D sorption isotherm surface with ionic strength as another variable.  While the negative effect of ionic strength on Cr(VI) uptake was confirmed, the need for a better model incorporating the ionic strength effect was identified.