Modified Fruit Peels as Sustainable Sorbents for Removing Heavy Metal Ions in Wastewater

There has been a continuous surge in the production of fruit peel waste worldwide, driven by improved dietary habits and rapid population growth. The management of these wastes through conventional approaches, such as landfilling and incineration, presents serious environmental challenges. This is because of reduced land availability, the release of toxic gases during open-air burning, and the slow decomposition of these wastes, which releases methane, causing climatic changes. Reports on the presence of heavy metal ions in wastewater discharged from industries have been conducted, indicating their potential threats to both human health and the environment. High costs often limit conventional approaches to removing heavy metal ions; thus, fruit peel waste-based biosorbents offer a low-cost alternative. Utilizing fruit peel waste as a biosorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions promotes a circular economy approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this review examines the composition of fruit peel waste and its potential application as a biosorbent for removing heavy metal ions. Additionally, the findings contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the biosorption process, the modification strategies employed to enhance biosorption capacity, the regeneration ability of biosorbents, and the potential application of the extract in the synthesis of various nanoparticles utilized in heavy metal ion removal.