WASTE-DERIVED MATERIALS FOR WATER PURIFICATION – A REVIEW

Author

Dr. B. Malini


Abstract

 Rapid growth in municipal, agricultural and industrial waste generation has created a dual environmental challenge: waste streams require safe management while water resources require increasingly effective and affordable purification. Waste-derived materials offer a circular pathway in which discarded biomass, food residues, agricultural by-products, industrial wastes, sewage-derived solids and selected plastic wastes are transformed into adsorbents, catalysts, filtration media, ion-exchange materials and multifunctional composites. This review examines recent advances in the synthesis and utilization of waste-derived materials for water purification, with emphasis on material preparation, surface engineering, pollutant-removal mechanisms, regeneration, recovery, environmental safety and scale-up.

The review covers agricultural residues, food wastes, forestry biomass, animal-derived wastes, sewage sludge, industrial solid wastes such as fly ash, red mud and slags, and emerging plastic-waste-derived carbon materials. Conversion routes including drying, grinding, carbonization, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, physical activation, chemical activation, functionalization, mineralization, magnetic modification and composite fabrication are discussed. Their applications for heavy metals, dyes, phenols, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, pesticides, PFAS and other emerging contaminants are evaluated. Adsorption remains the dominant mechanism, but ion exchange, surface complexation, electrostatic attraction, precipitation, redox reactions, photocatalysis and catalytic oxidation increasingly contribute to multifunctional treatment.

Recent literature demonstrates that waste-derived biochars and activated carbons can achieve high removal of several contaminant classes, while modified materials can improve selectivity, regeneration and separation. However, laboratory adsorption capacity alone is not sufficient evidence of sustainability. Feedstock variability, chemical activation, leaching of inorganic constituents, regeneration energy, secondary waste, competing ions, real-water performance and end-of-life management must be considered. Field-scale studies remain comparatively limited, and recent literature explicitly identifies scale-up and realistic water matrices as important knowledge gaps.

The review proposes a circular-material framework linking waste selection, synthesis, characterization, treatment performance, regeneration, resource recovery and lifecycle assessment. Future progress is expected from hybrid biochar–mineral composites, magnetic materials, waste-derived catalysts, membrane and filtration integration, machine-learning-assisted material optimization, continuous-flow systems and standardized lifecycle and techno-economic reporting. Properly designed, waste-derived purification media can simultaneously reduce waste burdens and improve water quality, but commercialization requires evidence beyond batch experiments and a full assessment of environmental safety.



Keywords

waste-derived materials; water purification; biochar; activated carbon; agricultural waste; industrial waste; adsorption; circular economy; wastewater treatment; sustainable materials; resource recovery.



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


  1. Awogbemi, O., & Kallon, D.V.V. (2023). Progress in agricultural waste derived biochar as adsorbents for wastewater treatment. Applied Surface Science Advances, 18, 100518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsadv.2023.100518 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  2. Unlocking the potential of environmentally friendly adsorbent derived from industrial wastes: A review. (2024). Chemosphere, 367, 143662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143662 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  3. Laishram, D., Kim, S.-B., Lee, S.-Y., & Park, S.-J. (2025). Advancements in Biochar as a Sustainable Adsorbent for Water Pollution Mitigation. Advanced Science, 12, 2410383. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202410383 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  4. Haris, M., Amjad, Z., Usman, M., et al. (2024). A review of crop residue-based biochar as an efficient adsorbent to remove trace elements from aquatic systems. Biochar, 6, 47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-024-00341-2 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  5. Biochar potential for pollutant removal during wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of separation mechanisms, technological integration, and process analysis. (2024). Desalination, 578, 118509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.118509 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  6. Use of low-cost adsorbent for wastewater treatment: Recent progress, new trend and future perspectives. (2025). Desalination and Water Treatment, 321, 100914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dwt.2024.100914 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  7. From pollutant to purifier: Leveraging plastic waste-derived activated carbon for sustainable water remediation solutions. (2025). Journal of Environmental Management, 375, 124202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124202 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  8. Phosphorus adsorption and recovery from waste streams using biochar: review of mechanisms, modifications, and agricultural applications. (2025). Applied Water Science, 15, 162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-025-02523-0 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  9. Raut, V., et al. (2025). Nano-Bioremediation via Biochar, Zeolite Nanocomposites for Water Quality Enhancement: A Review. Water Environment Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.70151 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  10. Realistic and field scale applications of biochar for water remediation: A literature review. (2025). Journal of Environmental Management, 385, 125524. [1, 3, 5, 13]
  11. Recent advances in biochar technology for aquatic pollution control: a critical review of applications, barriers, and future opportunities. (2025). Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01581-3 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  12. An Update on Agricultural Wastes Used as Natural Adsorbents or Coagulants in Single or Combined Systems for the Removal of Dyes from Wastewater. (2024). Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 235, 178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-06979-9 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  13. Advances in the synthesis and utilization of waste-derived materials for water purification. (2025). Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry, Research Topic Editorial. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2025.1651836 [1, 3, 5, 13]
  14. Biochar Derived from Agricultural Residues for Wastewater Contaminant Removal. (2026). Sustainability, 18, 435.

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons