Abstract
This paper explores the use of biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of Ulex Europaeus, an invasive species in the mountain ecosystems of Colombia, for the removal of total chromium from the water. The investigation was developed in two phases. First, the slow pyrolysis of Ulex Europaeus was carried out at varying temperatures (450, 550, and 650° C) to produce a biochar that was characterized by texture, surface area, and percent yield. In the second phase, the biochar then was used to test the removal of chromium from natural water samples collected from the Upper Bogotá River Basin. The removal of chromium with a commercial activated carbon also was assessed as a control. Finally, measurements of total chromium collected were used to evaluate biochar removal efficiencies. The biochar produced at both 550° C and 650° C was found to remove over two times the amount of chromium compared the activated carbon, demonstrating that biochar from Ulex Europaeus is an effective sorbent for total chromium.
