article · Discover Sustainability
Heavy metal contamination in water systems presents severe risks to human health and natural ecosystems. Regulatory frameworks established by international bodies, including the World Health Organisation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, highlight the critical dose and effect relationships associated with toxic metal exposure. Among advanced remediation techniques, bio-adsorbents derived from plant biomass and agricultural waste offer economical, regenerable, and environmentally sound alternatives to traditional chemical media. These biological materials demonstrate notable efficiency and high specificity for capturing heavy metals, indicating significant promise for large-scale water treatment infrastructure. Nonetheless, their operational performance can decline in complex, real-world water conditions unless targeted material modifications are made. Successfully deploying these materials requires a precise understanding of the interaction between water characteristics and adsorbent properties to advance sustainable development priorities.
Heavy metal accumulation in drinking water and ecosystems creates major health hazards worldwide. Sourcing water treatment materials from agricultural waste creates an economical pathway to address pollution while reducing dependence on synthetic chemicals. Utilising biological residues for environmental remediation supports global sustainability objectives and offers a greener approach to safeguarding public water supplies from persistent industrial and environmental toxins.
Potential applications centre on large-scale municipal and industrial water treatment facilities seeking low-cost filtration media. Agricultural waste processors and water utilities could deploy bio-adsorbents to replace conventional chemical adsorbents. However, because their performance can decline in varied water matrices without targeted modifications, the approach appears to be at an early stage of development, needing fine-tuning before it can be applied reliably in practical settings.
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Water contamination by heavy metals poses serious threats to human health and ecological systems, necessitating innovative and sustainable treatment approaches. This review explores the sources and toxicological impacts of heavy metals, focusing on dose–effect relationships as defined by global health and environmental authorities, including WHO and USEPA. It evaluates advanced removal methods, emphasizing bio-adsorbents derived from agricultural waste and plant biomass as cost-effective, sustainable, and regenerable alternatives to conventional chemical adsorbents. These bio-sourced materials demonstrate high specificity and efficiency in heavy metal adsorption, making them promising candidates for large-scale water treatment. However, their performance can be limited in diverse water matrices without targeted modifications. A thorough understanding of both water characteristics and bio-adsorbent properties is essential for optimizing their application. This review underscores the potential of bio-adsorbents as environmentally friendly solutions for mitigating heavy metal pollution, aligning with global sustainable development goals.
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DOI: 10.1007/s43621-025-00895-6
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