The Green Approach of Arabic Gum-Based Adsorbent in Wastewater Treatment

The natural polysaccharide Arabic gum is a multifunctional, sustainable material used widely in wastewater treatment technology. Its active functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups facilitate the efficient removal of heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and persistent organic pollutants. The high surface area and active functional groups facilitate its modification to form various structures such as hydrogels, nanocomposites, or biochar integrated into hybrid adsorption–photocatalysis systems. This review highlights the most familiar forms of Arabic gum in wastewater treatment technology, such as hydrogels, hydrogels nanocomposite, stabilizing agents, coating agents, and bio-activated carbon derived from Arabic gum using different preparation methods. Furthermore, this review outlines the application of Arabic gum as a photocatalyst for the degradation of different pollutants.