Abundantly Available Natural or Bioinspired Materials for Aqueous Pollutants Removal

In this review attention is focused on the various traditional and ecofriendly adsorbents, including a few of the local repositories which have proven enhanced performance for environmental pollutants removal. Due to their low cost and local availability, natural materials such as zeolite, montmorillonite-rich bentonite, industrial waste product chezacarb, beringite, chitosan, low rank coal shungite, fossil alginite, slovakite, starch, peat, commercial-grade active coke and iron oxihydroxides GEH were chosen to evaluate their adsorption performance in selected pollutant removal. A mathematical evaluation and fundamental aspects of the adsorption process are discussed respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of ODA-zeolite towards oxyanionic sulphate, chloride and nitrate reached the values 7-9 mg/g, while the maximum adsorption capacity of Fe(III)alginate zeolitic pellets towards nitrate reached the value 44 mg/g. Adsorption isotherm for phenol onto carbonized zeolite did not proceed according to the standard isotherm shape whereas the first plato recorded the maximum capacity even around 100 mg/g.