Abstract
Large volumes of wastewater are released into the environment without proper treatment. Water pollution is linked to over 80% of diseases and deaths each year. Contamination by heavy metal ions arises from both natural sources and human activities. Among these, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is one of the most toxic metals, causing severe toxicity and bioaccumulation. The development of effective water treatment technologies is therefore critical to mitigate these harmful effects. Membrane filtration has emerged as a promising approach due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency. In this study, green tubular ceramic membranes (GTCMs) were fabricated from Libyan kaolin clay (LKC), natural sand, and barley husk (BH) for the removal of Cr(VI). The optimized membrane (C77S20BH3-T950) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Membrane performance was investigated by determining membrane permeability and chromium retention rate. This membrane exhibited an average pore size of 56.4 nm, a porosity of 34.28%, and a high water permeability of approximately ∼476 L.h−1 .m−2.bar−1 . The membrane’s performance for Cr(VI) removal was evaluated, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 87.24% at an initial concentration of 2.5 ppm and pH 2, highlighting its strong potential for heavy metal ion removal from aqueous solutions.