Valorisation possibilities of exhausted biosorbents loaded with metal ions - A review
Iulia Simona Bădescu1, Dumitru Bulgariu2, Iftikhar Ahmad3
1Technical University Gheorghe Asachi of Iasi, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection "Cristofor Simionescu", Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, 700050, Iaşi, Romania.
Abstract:
Biosorption is considered one of the most promising methods for removal of metal ions from aqueous effluents, due to its low-cost and eco-friendly characteristics. However, the exhausted biosorbents loaded with metal ions, obtained at the end of biosorption processes, are still a problem which should be solved to increase the applicability of biosorption on an industrial scale. In this study are examined three possibilities for the valorisation of exhausted biosorbents loaded with metal ions, namely: (i) regeneration and reuse of biosorbents in multiple biosorption cycles, (ii) the use of exhausted biosorbents as fertilizers for soils poor in essential microelements, and (iii) the pyrolysis of exhausted biosorbents, under well defined conditions. The main advantages and disadvantages of each valorisation possibility are reviewed in order to find the best way to use these cheap materials in accordance with the principles of the circular economy and thereby contributing to the development of sustainable biosorption technology.
Related Concept Videos
Bonding in Metals
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Alkali Metals
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
Formation of Complex Ions
Precipitation of Ions
The equation that describes the equilibrium between solid calcium carbonate and its solvated ions is:
Ions and Ionic Charges


