Title : Sustainable application of agricultural residues as biosorbents for heavy metal removal from aqueous systems: A comparative study
Abstract:
Anthropogenic activities have increasingly contributed to the deterioration of water quality through the discharge of industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and other contaminant sources. As water quality requirements vary depending on its intended use, effective treatment strategies are essential to meet regulatory and environmental standards. In this context, sustainable wastewater treatment approaches that integrate resource recovery and circular economy principles have gained considerable attention.
The utilization of agricultural residues as biosorbents represents an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative for removing heavy metals from contaminated water. This approach not only improves water quality but also promotes the valorization of agricultural by-products, thereby reducing environmental waste. In the present study, the biosorption performance of two widely available agricultural wastes in Iran, namely peanut shells and walnut shells, was comparatively evaluated for the removal of selected heavy metals from aqueous solutions.
The biosorbents were processed to obtain uniform particle sizes and were applied to contaminated water under controlled experimental conditions. Parameters such as heavy metal concentration and pH were monitored over defined time intervals, while the system temperature was maintained at 25 °C. The findings indicated that walnut shells exhibited superior biosorption efficiency compared to peanut shells for the target pollutants. Among the investigated heavy metals, cadmium and lead demonstrated the highest adsorption rates for both biosorbents.
Future studies are recommended to examine the influence of particle size variation, pH fluctuations, and temperature changes on biosorption performance, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of these biosorbents in real wastewater systems. The results of this study highlight the potential of agricultural waste-derived biosorbents as sustainable materials for heavy metal remediation in water treatment applications.
