Characteristics and adsorption capacities of low-cost sorbents for wastewater treatment: A review
Open accessAbstract
Low-cost by-products from agricultural, household and industrial sectors have been recognized as a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. They allow achieving the removal of pollutants from wastewater and at same time to contribute to the waste minimization, recovery and reuse. Despite numerous reviews have been published in the last few years, a direct comparison of data obtained using different sorbents is difficult nowadays because of inconsistencies in the data presentation. In this context, the aim of the study was to revise the current literature concerning the application of low-cost adsorbents for wastewater treatment highlighting, systematically, both adsorbents characteristics and adsorption capacities. For this scope, low-cost sorbents have been divided into the following five groups: (i) Agricultural and household wastes, (ii) industrial by-products, (iii) sludge, (iv) sea materials, (v) soil and ore materials and (vi) novel low-cost adsorbents. The affinity of sorbents in removing various pollutants, their applications on real wastewater, costs and considerations on their reuse after adsorption processes, has been discussed. Finally, in order to better highlights the affinity of sorbents for more pollutants (dyes, heavy metals, biorecalcitrant compounds, nitrogen and phosphate compounds), simple methodological tools such as “adsorbents-pollutants” matrices have been proposed and applied. In this manner, the adsorbent candidates for replacing commercial activated carbons have been identified.
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The modification process with cationic surfactants only occurs on the outer surface of natural zeolites.
“Therefore, the modification process only occurs on the outer surface of the natural zeolites (De Gisi et al., 2016).”
From Adsorption of heavy metals on natural zeolites: A review (2023) · cites this paper as De Gisi et al., 2016
Section 3.5 (Soil and ore materials; page unavailable) reports modifying natural zeolite surfaces with the cationic surfactant HTAB. It does not say that modification occurs only on the outer surface, so the claim's key restriction is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTreated agricultural solid waste can be used as biosorbents to treat wastewater and contaminated soil.
“Treated agricultural solid waste can be used as biosorbents to treat wastewater (De Gisi et al. 2016) and contaminated soil ( Abedinzadeh et al. 2020).”
From Recycling municipal, agricultural and industrial waste into energy, fertilizers, food and construction materials, and economic feasibility: a review (2023) · cites this paper as De Gisi et al. 2016
Large surfactant molecules cannot enter the channels and cavities of natural zeolites.
“The large surfactant molecules cannot enter the channels and cavities of the natural zeolites.”
From Adsorption of heavy metals on natural zeolites: A review (2023) · cites this paper as De Gisi et al., 2016
Section 3.5 (page unavailable) discusses natural zeolites and their surface modification with quaternary amines, but does not say whether large surfactant molecules can enter zeolite channels or cavities. Searches for the quoted statement and for pore-size or channel-access explanations found no passage addressing that point. (LLM, conf=0.72)
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Cites
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- Authors
- De Gisi, S., Lofrano, G., Grassi, M., & Notarnicola, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Salerno (IT)
- Venue
- Sustainable Materials and Technologies
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 10-40
- ISSN
- 2214-9929 (ISSN-L)
- 2214-9937
- OpenAlex
- W2505574534
- Cited by
- 1,676
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 61 · 2025: 131 · 2024: 176 · 2023: 210 · 2022: 232 · 2021: 282 · 2020: 235 · 2019: 185 · 2018: 112 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 67.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sustainable materials and technologies (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Environmental remediation with nanomaterials
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Coagulation and Flocculation Studies
- Keywords
- low-cost adsorbent, wastewater treatment, adsorption capacity, agricultural waste, household waste, industrial by-products, sludge, dye removal, heavy metal removal, adsorbent reusability, activated carbon alternative, waste valorization
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