Biosorption of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions:Insight and Review

Abstract

Contamination of water bodies by industrial and domestic effluents containing heavy metals is today considered a big threat to man, flora and fauna. Solving this problem resulting from rapid industrialization has been a challenge over time. From different experimental results obtained, biosorption is considered a part of the solution to this problem. Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions is an alternative technique that is cost-effective due to availability of large amount of sorption materials and low or no chemical/energy demand. In this article, a review of past and current outcomes of biosorption studies using different biomaterials was carried out. This review also looked into various factors affecting heavy metals biosorption, adsorption isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamics.