¹Department of Chemistry, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bangalore India

²Department of Chemistry East West Institute of Technology, Bangalore India

³Department of Science, East West Institute of Technology, BangaloreIndia

⁴Departmentof of Electronics and Communication, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bangalore India

Email:-swarup_naga@yahoo.com

Hexavalent chromium compounds are being used in a wide variety of commercial processes and unregulated disposal of the chromium containing effluent has led to the contamination of soil, sediment, surface and ground waters. In order to mitigate the chromium pollution of urban environment due to effluents from various industries particularly from tannery and electroplating industries this study was under taken. An attempt is made to explore the viability of a low cost effluent treatment. Activated carbon obtained from coconut shell is the sorbent material used. Coconut shell carbon adsorption capacity for chromium (VI) is systematically examined. Understanding the uptake of chromium by activated carbon is an important step to optimize parameters for designing effluent treatment procedures for chromium removal. The effect of pH on the adsorption of chromium (VI) by activated carbon was studied at pH values of 1 to7. In this investigation the employability of an abundantly available low cost material namely activated carbon from coconut shell for mitigating chromium (VI) pollution is investigated. Different routes for preparing good porous activated carbon has been identified. The results obtained were analyzed for evaluating the use of carbon from coconut shells for chromium removal from solutions. The chromium removal was effective at a pH of 3 and removal efficiency was more than 95%. Optimum contact time has been found to be 50-60 minutes.