Pistachio shell (Pistacia vera) (PS), a low-cost material, has been utilized for the removal of the Cr(VI) ions after treatment with citric acid. Batch experimental steps were applied to obtain Cr(VI) ion adsorption details for the equilibrium between Cr(VI) and modified pistachio shell (MPS). The influences of contact time, pH, adsorbent dose and initial chromium concentration on the adsorption performance of MPS was investigated in detail. The results displayed that adsorption of Cr(VI) by MPS reached to equilibrium after 2 h and after that a little change of Cr(VI) removal efficiency was observed. The sorption percent is higher at lower pH and lower chromium concentration. Two possible mechanisms for reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) can be suggested in Cr(VI) removal. In the first mechanism, Cr(VI) is reduced to Cr(III) by surface electron-donor groups of the adsorbent and the reduced Cr(III) forms complexes with adsorbent or remains in the solution. This Cr(III) is not adsorbed by adsorbent at pH 1.8. But in second mechanism, the adsorption-coupled reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) occurred on the adsorbent sites. The equilibrium sorption capacity of Cr(VI) ion after 2 h was 64.35 mg/g for MPS.