A critical review on selenium removal capacity from water using emerging non-conventional biosorbents

Habib Ullah; Baoliang Chen; Audil Rashid; Ruohan Zhao; Asfandyar Shahab; Guo Yu; Ming Hung Wong; Sangar Khan

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122644

A critical review on selenium removal capacity from water using emerging non-conventional biosorbents

Environ Pollut. 2023 Dec 15:339:122644. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122644. Epub 2023 Oct 10.

Authors

Habib Ullah¹, Baoliang Chen², Audil Rashid³, Ruohan Zhao⁴, Asfandyar Shahab⁵, Guo Yu⁶, Ming Hung Wong⁷, Sangar Khan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: habib901@zju.edu.cn.
² Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: blchen@zju.edu.cn.
³ Faculty of Sciences, Department of Botany, University of Gujrat, Gujrat-50700, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China. Electronic address: 2017022@glut.edu.cn.
⁶ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China. Electronic address: yuguo@glut.edu.cn.
⁷ Consortium on Health, Environment, Education, and Research (CHEER), and Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: minghwong@eduhk.hk.
⁸ Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China. Electronic address: sangaruaar@hotmail.com.

PMID: 37827352
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122644

Abstract

Anthropogenic-driven selenium (Se) contamination of natural waters has emerged as severe health and environmental concern. Lowering Se levels to safe limits of 40 μg-L^-1 (recommended by WHO) presents a critical challenge for the scientific community, necessitating reliable and effective methods for Se removal. The primary obectives of this review are to evaluate the efficiency of different biosorbents in removing Se, understand the mechanism of adsorption, and identify the factors influencing the biosorption process. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to analyze various studies that have explored the use of modified biochars, iron oxides, and other non-conventional biosorbents for selenium removal. The assessed biosorbents include biomass, microalgae-based, alginate compounds, peats, chitosan, and biochar/modified biochar-based adsorbents. Quantitative data from the selected studies analyzed Se adsorption capacities of biosorbents, were collected considering pH, temperature, and environmental conditions, while highlighting advantages and limitations. The role of iron impregnation in enhancing the biosorption efficiency is investigated, and the mechanisms of Se adsorption on these biosorbents at different pH levels are discussed. A critical literature assessment reveals a robust understanding of the current state of Se biosorption and the effectiveness of non-conventional biosorbents for Se removal, providing crucial information for further research and practical applications in water treatment processes. By understanding the strengths and limitations of various biosorbents, this review is expected to scale-up targeted research on Se removal, promoting the development of innovative and cost-effective adsorbents, efficient and sustainable approaches for Se removal from water.

Keywords: Biochar; Non-conventional adsorbents; Selenium; Water pollution.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Charcoal / chemistry
Iron
Kinetics
Selenium*
Temperature
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Purification* / methods

Substances

Selenium
biochar
Iron
Charcoal
Water Pollutants, Chemical