Usefulness of the Biomass of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) for The Elimination of Chromium (VI) from Polluted Waters

Abstract

The tobacco plant is capable of accumulating heavy metals in its different parts, making it a good candidate for use in bioremediation, although there are few reports in which the biomass of this plant is used for the removal of heavy metals in solution. Also, cigarette residues are an environmental problem, so the use of these residues is an opportunity to obtain biomass for the removal of heavy metals from polluted environments. The objective of this work was to determine the removal capacity of Cr (VI) by commercial tobacco biomass, finding that 1 g of biomass removal 72 mg/L of the metal at 24 h, pH 2.0, 28 °C and 100 rpm, while at higher temperatures the removal is higher, and if the concentration of the metal is increased (1 g/L), its removal capacity is reduced, since 64.72% is removed at 24 h at 28 °C, although at 60 °C, 1 g/L is removal at 8 hours. If the concentration of the bioadsorbent is increased, the metal removal does not increase. Finally, 5 g of biomass eliminates 66.1% and 74% of Cr (VI) present in naturally contaminated soil (100 mg/g) and water (100 mg/L), respectively.