RESUMO O cromo é um metal tóxico amplamente utilizado em processos industriais, por isso a constante preocupação com os efluentes líquidos gerados. Uma vez lançados sem o devido tratamento podem comprometer a qualidade do corpo receptor. Este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar o processo de biossorção na remoção de íons Cr(III) de soluções aquosas sintéticas e efluente de curtume utilizando como biossorvente a macrófita aquática Pistia stratiotes in natura (PN) e quimicamente modificada (PM) com hidróxido de sódio e ácido cítrico. Realizou-se o preparo, a caracterização dos biossorventes e os experimentos de biossorção. Os estudos de equilíbrio indicaram que a capacidade máxima de biossorção foi de 58,16 e 19,80 mg g-1 para PM e PN, respectivamente. Nos testes utilizando efluente bruto de curtume, a remoção de cromo foi de 28,26% para ambos os biossorventes, e no efluente da lagoa de tratamento biológico, a maior taxa de remoção do metal foi obtida pelo biossorvente PM, com 65,44%. Os resultados demonstraram que a utilização de P. stratiotes como biossorvente apresenta-se como uma alternativa eficaz e de baixo custo, porém estudos complementares são necessários a fim de avaliar sua aplicação em escala real.

ABSTRACT Chromium is a toxic metal widely used in industrial processes, so the concern with the liquid effluents generated is constant, that once released without proper treatment can compromise the quality of the receiver body. The study aimed at analyzing the process of biosorption in removing Cr(III) ions of synthetic aqueous solutions and tannery effluent using as biosorbent the Pistia stratiotes macrophyte in natura (PN) and chemically modified (PM) with sodium hydroxide and citric acid. The preparation, characterization of the biosorbents and the experiments of biosorption were performed. Equilibrium studies indicated that the maximum biosorption capacity for PM was 58.16 mg g-1 and 19.80 mg g-1 for PN. In the tests using raw effluent from tannery, chromium removal was 28.26% for both biosorbents, and in the effluent from biological treatment lagoon, the higher rate of metal removal was obtained by biosorbent PM with 65.44%. The results showed that the use of P. stratiotes as biosorbent may be an effective and low-cost alternative and that additional studies are needed to assess its full-scale application.

The present paper focuses on improving chromium (III) uptake capacity of sugarcane bagasse through its chemical modification with citric acid and/or sodium hydroxide. The chemical modifications were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, with an evident peak observed at 1730 cm-1, attributed to carbonyl groups. Equilibrium was reached after 24 h, and the kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model. The highest chromium (III) maximum adsorption capacity (MAC) value was found when using sugarcane bagasse modified with sodium hydroxide and citric acid (58.00 mg g-1) giving a MAC value about three times greater (20.34 mg g-1) than for raw sugarcane bagasse.

In this article, films were produced with six types of cassava's starch mixed with gelatin and plasticized with sorbitol. These films were used in covering of grapes 'Benitaka' (Vitis vinifera L.) as biodegradable packaging. The acetylated starch film showed the best results in solubility, thickness and homogeneity, besides the less water loss the fruit, resulting in better coverage, increasing the shelf life fruits in 12 days. These results demonstrate the great potential of using films in food conservation, adding value to agricultural activity and helping to reduce non-biodegradable plastics in the environment.