Natural waste as bio-adsorbent: a cost-effective solution for heavy metal treatment

Rapid industrialization has contributed to a major factor in water pollution, especially through the discharge of heavy metals that are extremely dangerous to humans and nature. Precipitation, ion exchange, and membrane filtration are examples of conventional methods for wastewater treatment, which commonly face difficulties like high operating costs, energy consumption, and sludge formation. Adsorption has become a popular technique for removing heavy metals that is economical, effective, and nature-friendly. This review focused on the efficiency of agriculturally based bio-adsorbents; such as fruit and vegetable peels, sawdust, husks, and tea waste for eliminating dangerous heavy metals from wastewater is examined. These bio-adsorbents offer advantages such as high adsorption capacity, renewability, and sustainability. Bio-adsorbents reduce the dependency on costly treatment technologies by offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for synthetic adsorbents. In addition to removing heavy metals, using agricultural waste for wastewater treatment increases waste value, which protects the environment and water resources.