Cellulose emerges as an alternative for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals due to its abundant biomass and its proven potential in the adsorption of pollutants. The aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes is an option as raw material in the contribution of cellulose due to its enormous presence in contaminated wetlands, rivers, and lakes. The efficiency in the removal of heavy metals is due to the cation exchange between the hydroxyl groups and carboxyl groups present in the biomass of E. crassipes with heavy metals. Through different chemical and physical transformations of the biomass of E. crassipesThe objective of this review article is to provide a discussion on the different mechanisms of adsorption of the biomass of E. crassipes to retain heavy metals and dyes. In addition to estimating equilibrium, times through kinetic models of adsorption and maximum capacities of this biomass through equilibrium models with isotherms, in order to design one biofilter for treatment systems on a larger scale represented the effluents of a real industry.
Keywords: Biofilter; Cellulose; Heavy metal; Isotherm.