Skip to main content

Biomass-Based Absorbents for Heavy Metal Removal

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Green Adsorbents to Remove Metals, Dyes and Boron from Polluted Water

Abstract

With the increasing industrialization, the heavy metal contamination has become a serious environmental issue. Different activities, such as fertilizer, pharmaceutical, chemical, automobile, petroleum, and textile units, discharge a large amount of heavy metals laden effluent that contaminates the water streams. Traditional processes such as precipitation, ion exchange, membrane technology, and advance oxidation have been utilized for the remediation of heavy metal contamination. These processes could not be attractive for commercial applications because of their poor removal rate, problem of disposal, and high operating cost. Biosorption is now becoming a good alternative and environmentally friendly option. Biosorption of heavy metals is a metal uptake process by using ion exchange, precipitation, surface complexation, etc.. Various sources of waste biomaterials are utilized for the treatment of metal-contaminated wastewater stream. As natural biosorbents are not giving higher efficiency, modifications are done by physical and chemical activation of the biomaterials. Scientific developments were done for improving the efficiency, but limited research was conducted for the regeneration or reuse of the biosorbents. In recent years, researchers are paying attention on the reuse of the spent biosorbents by using eluent solutions such as acids, bases, chelating agents, etc. and getting the potential results. This makes the biosorption process more efficient and economic than the other conventional methods for the treatment of metal-tainted effluent. This chapter highlights the toxic metals and the various sources of biomaterials which are utilized for heavy metal removal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Biswas, S., Nag, S. (2021). Biomass-Based Absorbents for Heavy Metal Removal. In: Inamuddin, Ahamed, M., Lichtfouse, E., Asiri, A. (eds) Green Adsorbents to Remove Metals, Dyes and Boron from Polluted Water. Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47400-3_14

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics