Cited by 3,094Heavy Metal Pollution RemediationAdsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalCoagulation and Flocculation Studies

New trends in removing heavy metals from industrial wastewater

Open access
Barakat, M.A.·2011·Arabian Journal of Chemistry

Abstract

Innovative processes for treating industrial wastewater containing heavy metals often involve technologies for reduction of toxicity in order to meet technology-based treatment standards. This article reviews the recent developments and technical applicability of various treatments for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. A particular focus is given to innovative physico-chemical removal processes such as; adsorption on new adsorbents, membrane filtration, electrodialysis, and photocatalysis. Their advantages and limitations in application are evaluated. The main operating conditions such as pH and treatment performance are presented. Published studies of 94 cited references (1999–2008) are reviewed. It is evident from survey that new adsorbents and membrane filtration are the most frequently studied and widely applied for the treatment of metal-contaminated wastewater. However, in the near future, the most promising methods to treat such complex systems will be the photocatalytic ones which consume cheap photons from the UV-near visible region. They induce both degradation of organic pollutants and recovery of metals in one-pot systems. On the other hand, from the conventional processes, lime precipitation has been found as one of the most effective means to treat inorganic effluent with a metal concentration of >1000 mg/L. It is important to note that the overall treatment cost of metal-contaminated water varies, depending on the process employed and the local conditions. In general, the technical applicability, plant simplicity and cost-effectiveness are the key factors in selecting the most suitable treatment for inorganic effluent

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.arabjc.2010.07.019

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  • Adsorption could be the best option for removing heavy metals because of low cost, easy operation, no additional operating cost for sludge removal, short duration time, and applicability for many applications.

    “However, adsorption could be the best option for this purpose because of the low cost, easy operation, no additional operating cost for sludge removal, short duration time, and applicability for many applications (Anderson et al., 2022;Barakat, 2011;Chakraborty et al., 2022).”

    From Adsorption of heavy metals on natural zeolites: A review (2023) · cites this paper as Barakat, 2011

    The treatment-method comparison table (page unavailable) describes adsorption with new adsorbents as low-cost and easy to operate; the Conclusion (page unavailable) says new adsorbents are widely applied. The paper does not establish that adsorption has a short treatment time or no sludge-removal cost, and it says the most suitable method depends on wastewater characteristics, performance, and cost rather than identifying adsorption as the best option overall. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Advanced technologies like photocatalysis have shown their effectiveness and potential in eliminating heavy metals.

    “On the other hand, advanced technologies like photocatalysis have shown their effectiveness and potential in eliminating heavy metals.170,171”

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Babel, S., Kurniawan, T.A., 2003. Various treatment technologies to remove arsenic and mercury from contaminated groundwater: an overview. In: Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Southeast Asian Water Environment, Bangkok, Thailand, 24–25 October, pp. 433–440.
  2. Babel S., Kurniawan T.A., . Cr(VI) removal from synthetic wastewater using coconut shell charcoal and commercial activated carbon modified with oxidizing agents and/or chitosan. Chemosphere. 2004;54(7):951-967.
  3. Kurniawan, T.A., Babel, S., 2003. A research study on Cr(VI) removal from contaminated wastewater using low-cost adsorbents and commercial activated carbon. In: Second Int. Conf. on Energy Technology towards a Clean Environment (RCETE), vol. 2. Phuket, Thailand, 12–14 February, pp. 1110–1117.
  4. Skubal L.R., Meshkov N.K., Rajh T., Thurnauer, . J. Photochem. Photobiol. A, Chem.. 2002;148:393.
  5. A systematic review of coal and co-gasification… August 3, 2026

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Authors
Barakat, M. A.
Affiliations
King Abdulaziz University (SA)
Corresponding author
Barakat, M.A.
Venue
Arabian Journal of Chemistry
Published
2011-10
Volume
4
Issue
4
Pages
361-377
ISSN
1878-5352 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2043219105
Cited by
3,094
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 122 · 2025: 164 · 2024: 194 · 2023: 292 · 2022: 312 · 2021: 364 · 2020: 350 · 2019: 333 · 2018: 290 · 2017: 239 · 2016: 164 · 2015: 126 · 2014: 79 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 19
FWCI
21.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
Arabian Journal of Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Heavy Metal Pollution Remediation
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Coagulation and Flocculation Studies
Keywords
heavy metal removal, industrial wastewater treatment, adsorption, membrane filtration, electrodialysis, photocatalysis, lime precipitation, metal recovery, treatment cost-effectiveness, pH effect

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