Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Waste to catalyst: Role of agricultural waste in water and wastewater treatment

Manish Kumar, Ambika Selvaraj, Aydin Hassani, P.V. Nidheesh

The Science of The Total Environment · 2022

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Summary

This 2022 review examines the potential of agricultural waste streams—such as crop residues, processing by-products, and manure-derived materials—as sources for water treatment catalysts and adsorbents. The authors synthesise literature on mechanisms of contaminant removal and evaluate the technical and economic viability of converting farm waste into functional water-cleaning materials, positioning agricultural by-products as a circular economy solution for both waste management and environmental remediation.

UK applicability

UK agriculture generates significant crop and livestock residues; the findings could inform policy on farm waste valorisation and circular economy pathways in the context of the Environment Act 2021 and resource recovery targets. However, applicability depends on which specific waste streams and contaminants are featured, and whether climatic or feedstock differences affect outcomes.

Key measures

Contaminant removal efficiency, catalyst performance metrics, adsorption capacity, water quality parameters (as suggested by title and journal scope)

Outcomes reported

The study examined how agricultural waste materials can be repurposed as catalysts or adsorbents for treating contaminated water and wastewater. The paper likely synthesises evidence on the efficacy, mechanisms, and practical feasibility of such waste-to-resource approaches.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Other / interdisciplinary
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Food supply chain
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159762
Catalogue ID
SNmohku12l-pbqdu7

Topic tags

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