Use of nano-biomaterials for adsorption of heavy metals from wastewater – a review

Rapid industrialization and poor waste management has resulted in contamination of water resources. Water pollution due to heavy metals has become a matter of threat worldwide. A number of techniques for wastewater treatment have been analyzed and the advantages of adsorption over the conventional techniques have been listed out. In the recent decades, a large number of biomaterials have been studied for sustainable removal of these heavy metals from wastewater through adsorption. These have been found as potential adsorbents for the purpose in their different forms. However, development and use of nano-biomaterials have shown better results for sequestering heavy metals from wastewater during recent past. In this paper, the development and use of various nano-biomaterials for heavy metals removal from wastewater have been reviewed scientifically. The mechanism for the process has been identified and effectiveness of various nano-biomaterials reported by various scientists has been evaluated in this process.