Sustainable wastewater treatment by biochar/layered double hydroxide composites: Progress, challenges, and outlook

Zubair M 1 , Ihsanullah I 2 , Abdul Aziz H 3 , Azmier Ahmad M 4 , Al-Harthi MA 5

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: ihsankhan@kfupm.edu.sa
  • 3 School of Civil Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; Solid Waste Management Cluster, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 4 School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • 5 Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261 Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Bioresour Technol, 2021 Jan;319:124128.
PMID: 32979597 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124128

Abstract

Biochar/layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites have gained considerable attention in recent times as low-cost sustainable materials for applications in water treatment. This paper critically evaluates the latest development in applications of biochar/LDH composites in water treatment with an emphasis on adsorption and catalytic degradation of various pollutants. The adsorption of various noxious contaminants, i.e., heavy metals, dyes, anions, and pharmaceuticals onto biochar/LDH composites are described in detail by elaborating the adsorption mechanism and regeneration ability. The synergistic effect of LDH with biochar exhibited significant improvement in specific surface area, surface functional groups, structure heterogeneity, stability, and adsorption characteristics of the resulting biochar/LDH composites. The major hurdles and challenges associated with the synthesis and applications of biochar/LDH composites in water remediation are emphasized. Finally, a roadmap is suggested for future research to assure the effective applications of biochar/LDH composites in water purification.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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