Biosorption of heavy metals by agroindustrial byproducts

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is a problem that affects aquatic and terrestrial environments, where the main source is anthropic activities. To attend this problem, the scientific community has developed physical-chemical methods for the removal of heavy metals in contaminated effluents: however, they are not economically favorable as they have high operating and maintenance costs, and some generate waste that is difficult to handle. However, there is a low-cost, highly efficient method without the formation of secondary contaminants, called bioadsorption. Bioadsorption uses agro-industrial by-products with the objective to use the excessive generation of these waste as bioadsorbents for the removal of heavy metals in wastewater. The use of agro-industrial by-products as bioadsorbents has proven to be an alternative for their use, consequently, Mexico has potential in the production of bioadsorbents. The objective of this review is to provide systematized information on the method of removing heavy metals by bioadsorption through the use of agro-industrial by-products.