Emerging trends and future outlook on chromium removal in the lab, pilot scale, and industrial wastewater system: an updated review exploring 10 years of research

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Abstract
Chromium (Cr) is widely recognized as a carcinogenic metal, and numerous technologies have been studied on a lab scale to manage the pollution caused by Cr contamination in wastewater. However, the removal of Cr presents several challenges and limitations in industrial wastewater management. These issues highlight the ongoing need for research to discover more efficient methods for remediating Cr from wastewater. The proposed review summarizes the current limitations, gaps, and state-of-the-art technologies on Cr removal in industrial wastewater systems over the past 10 years. It aims to lay the groundwork for future research and innovation in Cr remediation for industrial applications. The review emphasizes that conventional physicochemical techniques are often insufficient and highlights the necessity of implementing advanced integrated systems. The limitations related to industrial scaling up are also deeply investigated. Special attention is given to differentiating research conducted at laboratory, pilot, and industrial levels. The findings reveal that limited research has been conducted on an industrial scale, with most investigations focusing on treating tannery and electroplating wastewater. A few studies have also been reported on wastewater from textile, mining, steel mills, pigments, and wood processing. Despite the existence of high-performance systems demonstrated in lab-scale studies, only a handful of treatment techniques have effectively removed Cr at an industrial scale. Nevertheless, innovative breakthroughs in advanced integrated systems show promise for improved performance in the future. Graphical Abstract

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