Summary
The conventional waste management practices dispose or incinerate agricultural and forestry waste, contributing to the environmental pollution while misusing biomass, a valuable resource with a great potential of reuse. In fact, cultivation of agricultural crops and harvesting generate an abundant amount of waste (e.g., stones, shells, straw) that can be used for wastewater treatment. Waste biomass may be used as: (i) an adsorbent in its original, raw form, following ambient drying and grinding; (ii) modified bio-based sorbents; or (iii) a source material for the synthesis of activated carbon adsorbents through carbonization. Despite the numerous publications in this field examining the removal of a wide range of target pollutants (metals, metalloids, dyes, pesticides, as well as emerging
Regional applicability
The findings are relevant to United Kingdom agricultural practice and environmental policy, as the UK generates substantial arable and horticultural residues. The approach aligns with circular economy and waste reduction objectives in UK environmental regulation, though demonstration at pilot and operational scale would be needed to inform uptake in UK wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Key measures
Pollutant removal efficiency by various agricultural waste-derived biosorbents; applicability to complex environmental matrices and natural samples without compound spiking.
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews the use of agricultural and forestry waste biomass as biosorbents for removal of inorganic and organic pollutants from wastewater, including metals, metalloids, dyes, pesticides, and emerging contaminants. It examines three approaches: raw biomass adsorbents, modified bio-based sorbents, and activated carbon derived from carbonisation.
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