Adsorption Processes in Water Treatment and Remediation
Summary
Adsorption constitutes a cornerstone of modern water treatment and environmental remediation, harnessing the affinity between contaminants and solid surfaces to extract pollutants from aqueous matrices. This process relies on the accumulation of dissolved or colloidal substances—ranging from organic dyes and pesticides to heavy metals and pharmaceuticals—onto the surface of tailored adsorbents. Key parameters shaping performance include surface area, pore structure, surface chemistry and interaction mechanisms such as electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking. Advances in materials science have yielded a spectrum of adsorbents—from activated carbons and biochars to surfactant-modified minerals and polymeric membranes—each engineered to target specific classes of contaminants. Through optimisation of activation protocols, surface functionalisation and composite formation, researchers have enhanced adsorption capacity, selectivity and reusability. The global significance of these developments is underscored by the urgency of providing safe water supplies in regions afflicted by industrial effluents, agricultural run-off and emerging micropollutants, while ensuring sustainable resource utilisation and minimised secondary waste.
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Adsorption Processes in Water Treatment and Remediation publication trend
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Technical terms
Adsorption: The accumulation of molecules or ions from a liquid onto the surface of a solid material.
Adsorbent: A solid substrate, such as activated carbon or biochar, designed to attract and hold contaminants.
Isotherm: A mathematical relation describing equilibrium adsorption as a function of solute concentration at constant temperature.
Kinetics: The study of the rate and mechanism by which adsorption proceeds over time.
Pore Volume: The total volume of void spaces within an adsorbent, influencing capacity and access to active sites.
Surface Functionalisation: Chemical modification of an adsorbent’s surface to introduce groups that enhance contaminant binding.
References
- Oyster shell facilitates the green production of nitrogen-doped porous biochar from macroalgae: a case study for removing atrazine from water. Biochar (2024).
- KOH-mediated structural modification of activated charcoal by heat treatment for the efficient adsorption of organic dyes. Applied Surface Science Advances (2024).
- Facile and innovative application of surfactant-modified-zeolite from Austrian fly ash for glyphosate removal from water solution. Journal of Environmental Management (2023).
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