Adsorbents for water decontamination: A recycling alternative for fiber precursors and textile fiber wastes

John Kwame Bediako; Vitus Apalangya; Isaac O A Hodgson; Ikenna Anugwom; Eveliina Repo

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171000

Adsorbents for water decontamination: A recycling alternative for fiber precursors and textile fiber wastes

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Apr 1:919:171000. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171000. Epub 2024 Feb 15.

Authors

John Kwame Bediako¹, Vitus Apalangya², Isaac O A Hodgson³, Ikenna Anugwom⁴, Eveliina Repo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Separation Science, School of Engineering Science, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland; Department of Food Process Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana. Electronic address: john.bediako@lut.fi.
² Department of Food Process Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
³ Department of Food Process Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Water Research Institute, P. O. Box M 32, Accra, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Separation Science, School of Engineering Science, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), FI-53850 Lappeenranta, Finland.

PMID: 38365021
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171000

Abstract

The exponential growth in textile fiber production and commensurate release of textile waste-based effluents into the environment has significant impacts on human wellbeing and the long-term planetary health. To abate these negative impacts and promote resource circularity, efforts are being made to recycle these waste materials via conversion into adsorbents for water decontamination. This review critically examines plant- and regenerated cellulose-based fibers for removing water pollutants such as heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceutical and petrochemical wastes. The review reveals that chemical modification reactions such as grafting, sulfonation, carboxymethylation, amination, amidoximation, xanthation, carbon activation, and surface coating are normally employed, and the adsorption mechanisms often involve Van der Waals attraction, electrostatic interaction, complexation, chelation, ion exchange, and precipitation. Furthermore, the adsorption processes and thus the adsorption mechanisms are influenced by factors such as surface properties of adsorbents, pollutant characteristics including composition, porosity/pore size distribution, specific surface area, hydrophobicity/hydrophobicity, and molecular interactions. Besides, feasibility of the approaches in terms of handling and reuse, environmental fate, and economic impact was evaluated, in addition to the performances of the adsorbents, the prospects, and challenges. As current cost analysis is non-exhaustive, it is recommended that researchers focus on extensive cost analysis to fully appreciate the true cost effectiveness of employing these waste materials. In addition, more attention must be paid to potential chemical leaching, post-adsorption handling, and disposal. Based on the review, fiber precursors and textile fiber wastes are viable alternative adsorbents for sustainable water treatment and environmental management, and government entities must leverage on these locally accessible materials to promote recyclability and circularity.

Keywords: Chemical modification; Circularity; Environmental sustainability; Post-adsorption application; Textile fibers.

Publication types

Review