Author(s)

Ankita Basu, Bidyut Saha

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r(VI) is a known human carcinogen. It is a wide spread environmental contaminant as it is extensively used in different industry. The kinetic study of reduction of Cr(VI) by a known organic substance, 1-butanol in micellar media have been studied spectrophotometrically. The reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) occurs in a micro- heterogeneous system in cell cytoplasm. As micelles are considered to mimic the cellular membranes, the reduction process occurring in the micellar system is considered as a model to obtain insight in to the reduction process prevailing in body systems. Micellar media is also a probe to establish the mechanistic paths of reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and the effects of some electrolytes common to a biological systems are studied to establish the proposed reaction mechanism strongly. The overall reaction follows a first order dependency on substrate and hexavalent chromium and second order dependency on hydrogen ion. Suitable surfactant & suitable concentration of electrolyte enhance the rate of the reaction.

Pollution, Carcinogen, Cr(VI), Oxidation; Kinetics, Surfactant, Electrolyte

A. Basu and B. Saha, "Kinetic Studies on Hexavalent Chromium Reduction," American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2010, pp. 25-30. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2010.11003.