The harmfulness of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is dramatically decreased when Cr(VI) is reduced to trivalent chromium (Cr(III)). Rutin, a natural flavonoid, exhibits excellent antioxidant activity by coordinating metal ions. In this study, a complex containing rutin and Cr(III)(rutin-Cr(III)) was synthesized and characterized. The rutin-Cr(III) complex was much easier to reduce than rutin. The reduction of the rutin-Cr(III) complex was highly pH-dependent, with 90% of the Cr(VI) being reduced to Cr(III) in 2 h under optimal conditions. A biodegradable, sustained-release system encapsulating the rutin-Cr(III) complex in a alginate-chitosan microcapsule (rutin-Cr(III) ACMS) was also evaluated, and the reduction of Cr(VI) was assessed. This study also demonstrated that low-pH solutions increased the reduction rate of Cr(VI). The environmentally friendly microcapsules can reduce Cr(VI) for prolonged periods of time and can easily biodegrade after releasing the rutin-Cr(III) complex. Given the excellent performance of rutin-Cr(III)ACMS, the microcapsule system represents an effective system for the remediation of Cr(VI) pollution. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.