Valorization of agriculture wastes as biosorbents for adsorption of emerging pollutants: Modification, remediation and industry application

The scarcity of clean water resources combined with other environmental and anthropogenic effects have urged the development of advanced technology for wastewater treatment. Adsorption attracts great attention as a cost-effective technique for the remediation of contaminated water. Despite a broad variety of adsorbents existing in the literature, agriculture waste-derived biosorbents appear to hold the greatest promise for the adsorption of emerging contaminants. Herein, this review introduces the recent developments of biosorbents in the adsorption field. The role of biosorbents in the green chemistry principle and their contribution towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are discussed. Different types of modifications of biosorbents including activation and modification of magnetic, non-magnetic nanoparticles and polymers are systematically reviewed. Besides, the application of modified biosorbents in the adsorption of heavy metals, dyes, PAHs and oils along with their respective mechanisms are analyzed. Apart from this, the potential practical application of biosorbents is canvassed through introducing simultaneous adsorption of pollutants, usage of real industrial wastewater matrix and reusability performance. Finally, the recommendations for future adsorption studies are presented. This review is anticipated to critically review and explore the potential of biosorbents as economical and green candidates for the adsorption of emerging pollutants.