Reusing Waste to Save Our Water: Regenerable Bioadsorbents for Effective Oil Sequestration

As climate change and environmental damage in the world are rising, the need for efficient waste management and purification is ever-increasing. At present, the existence of oil in water constitutes a large proportion of this pollution. This oil comes from various sources, including effluents released by industries and oil spills. As such, the removal of oil from marine waters is crucial to combat pollution and preserve the ecology. Bioadsorption has emerged as an efficient method, but the sustainability and eco-friendliness of this method are yet to be seen. This review summarizes the removal of different types of oil from the marine environment using bioadsorption, i.e., adsorption by biological materials. It briefly describes the adsorption mechanism by means of various bioadsorbents with oil. The preparation and performance of different types of bioadsorbents used in industries are discussed, along with some examples of bioadsorbents that can be applied for the removal of various oils from water. Also, an overview of the regeneration of the adsorbent by various methods is given.