The chromium is a heavy metal with wide industrial applications. It exists in the environment mostly in two stable forms, relatively least toxic trivalent form, Cr(III) and highly toxic hexavalent form, Cr(VI). The release of this hazardous Cr(VI) with effluents from industrial sites, at post-production stage, is the root cause of water pollution across the globe. The Cr(VI) is one of the priority pollutant as per USEPA classification. It is mostly released with anthropogenic activities such as mining, steel making, welding, tanning, textile dyeing, and wood polishing. Besides other harmful features, it is considered as a proven human carcinogen. Its high toxicity can be attributed to its small molecular size, ionic form, mobility, high solubility, and permeability. Exceeding the threshold limits, water bodies contaminated with Cr(VI) have deleterious impacts on public health and the vegetation of the contaminated sites. Moreover, this study laid emphasis on the anthropogenic sources of release of Cr(VI) into the water bodies, its adverse effects, and remediation of these emerging problems. The novelty of this study lies with the remediation of contaminated water bodies with zero maintenance. It is preferable over other techniques on the basis of its cost of operation, ease in application, and compatibility with the environment.
Key words: Anthropogenic, Chromium, Carcinogen, Environment, Remediation, Toxic
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