A Clean Method for Vanadium (V) Reduction with Oxalic Acid

Water pollution deteriorates ecosystems and is a great threat to the environment. The environmental benefits of wastewater treatment are extremely important to minimize pollutants. Here, the oxalic acid used as reductant was used to treat the wastewater which contained high concentration of vanadium (V). Nearly 100% of vanadium was efficiently reduced at selected reaction conditions. The optimization results simulated by response surface methodology (RSM) analysis indicated the parameters all had significant effects on the reduction process, and followed the order: dosage of oxalic acid > reaction temperature > reaction time > initial pH of vanadium-containing wastewater. The reduction behavior analysis indicated that the pseudo first-order kinetics model could describe well the reduction process with Ea = 42.14 kJ/mol, and was described by the equation as followed: -LnC=K-0 center dot[pH](0.1016)center dot[n(O)/n(V)](2.4569)center dot[T](2.2588)center dot exp(-42.14/T)center dot t.

Automated summary

Water pollution poses a significant threat to ecosystems and the environment. Effective wastewater treatment, using oxalic acid as a reductant, is crucial in minimizing pollutant levels. This study successfully reduced nearly 100% of vanadium in wastewater using selected reaction conditions. Optimization results showed that all parameters, with oxalic acid dosage being the most significant, influenced the reduction process. The reduction behavior analysis suggested that the pseudo first-order kinetics model accurately described the process, with an activation energy of 42.14 kJ/mol.