article · Biological Sciences
Heavy metal contamination in wastewater presents major environmental challenges, which biosorption can address using living or non-living organisms and their derivatives. Physical and chemical pretreatment methods improve biosorbent performance by altering cell wall structures to increase metal binding capacity. Immobilisation approaches, including cell entrapment and cross-linking, further enhance the stability and reusability of biosorbents within continuous systems. These techniques enable controlled particle sizes and facilitate easier separation of biomass. Additionally, non-living microbial biomass offers distinct operational benefits, such as resilience against toxic waste streams and longer storage potential. Differential scanning calorimetry can be used to evaluate the thermal stability of these materials under varied environmental conditions. Overall, microbial biosorbents provide a flexible and efficient route for water treatment and environmental remediation, provided economic factors are considered when modifying biomass.
Industrial wastewater often carries hazardous heavy metals that threaten ecosystems and human health. Conventional clean-up methods can be expensive and chemical-intensive. Using microbial matter as biosorbents offers a more sustainable alternative for water remediation, turning natural or waste biological materials into effective tools to capture toxic contaminants before they enter the wider environment.
This work points towards applications in continuous industrial wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Potential users include municipal water treatment facilities and industrial operators generating heavy metal effluents. Because the review focuses on evaluating mechanisms, pretreatment, and immobilisation concepts alongside economic considerations, the technology appears to be in an early to intermediate stage of research and optimisation, rather than immediately market-ready.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Biosorption, a sustainable technology, utilizes living or non-living organism and their derivative as sorbents for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. This review explores the mechanisms and applications of biosorption in addressing environmental challenges posed by heavy metal contaminants. Pretreatment methods enhance biosorbent performance by modifying cell wall structures through physical and chemical alterations, increasing metal binding capacity. Immobilization techniques like cell entrapment and cross-linking improve biosorbent stability and reusability in continuous systems, offering controlled particle size and ease of biomass separation. Differential Scanning Calorimetry assesses biosorbent thermal stability, providing insights into performance under varying conditions. Non-living microorganisms present advantages for biosorption, including resilience to toxic wastes and extended storage capabilities. Economic considerations are crucial when evaluating biosorbent modifications for enhanced performance. The review show that biosorption using microbial biosorbents is a versatile and efficient method for heavy metal removal from wastewater, with applications in environmental remediation and sustainable water treatment practices. Future research should focus on novel biosorption strategies and optimization of existing techniques to effectively combat heavy metal pollution.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.55006/biolsciences.2024.4105
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
