Recent Advances in Biosorbents: Enhanced Strategies for Contaminant Adsorption

Dear Colleagues,

Water quality is one of the major concerns of the twenty-first century, making surface- and deep-water pollution a topic of increasing social and scientific interest in both developing and developed countries. Water pollution is closely related to various anthropogenic activities (such as mining, dyeing, municipal and industrial solid waste disposal, incineration and/or openly burning waste, and agricultural soil fertilization), unplanned urbanization, and rapid industrialization. Among the many inorganic and organic pollutants, heavy metals, organic dyes, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, pesticides, PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls), DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), phenols and phenolic derivatives, mycotoxins, Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and parabens have garnered widespread attention. Due to their persistent nature, these pollutants pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems, regardless of their concentrations in wastewaters. In response to increasing demands for clean and safe water, a variety of technologies have been employed to purify of pollutant-contaminated wastewater. These technologies include membrane separation, chemical and electrochemical technologies, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, electrodialysis, electrolysis, and adsorption procedures. However, most of these technologies, with the exception of adsorption, require substantial financial investment and high energy consumption, which limits their practical application in wastewater treatment. In contrast, adsorption using conventional and nonconventional adsorbents is a user-friendly and environmentally acceptable method for the removal of various pollutants. It allows for the regeneration of adsorbents, operation under a wide range of process settings, and improved selectivity. Consequently, the search for new, economically viable adsorbents for the removal of various pollutants continues to be a key area of research.

This Special Issue on “Recent Advances in Biosorbents: Enhanced Strategies for Contaminant Adsorption” seeks high-quality works focusing on recent advancements and challenges in the field of biosorbents for pollutant adsorption; enhanced strategies for contaminant adsorption using materials derived from natural sources, such as agricultural wastes, fibers, algae, and bacteria, as well as novel synthesized materials, are also within the scope of this Special Issue. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The removal of emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and heavy metals, using biosorbents;
2. Advances in the development of new biosorbents from natural sources and synthetic materials;
3. Strategies to enhance adsorption capacities and selectivity through surface modification and functionalization;
4. Understanding the underlying mechanisms governing adsorption processes at molecular and macroscopic levels;
5. The development and application of hybrid materials, combining biosorbents with other adsorptive or catalytic materials to enhance their performance;
6. Techniques for regenerating spent biosorbents and evaluating their reusability in adsorption processes;
7. The use of computational tools and simulation techniques to predict adsorption behavior and optimize biosorbent design;
8. Scaling up biosorbent production and integrating biosorbents into large-scale environmental and industrial applications;
9. The assessment of the environmental footprint and sustainability aspects of biosorbent-based technologies compared to traditional adsorbents;
10. Comprehensive life cycle analysis of biosorbents, including their production, usage, and disposal phases, to evaluate their overall environmental impact;
11. The examination of policy frameworks, regulatory challenges, and economic feasibility related to the adoption and commercialization of biosorbent technologies;

Thanks, and we hope you consider participating in this Special Issue.

Sincerely,

Dr. Aleksandra Ivanovska
Dr. Biljana P. Dojčinovic
Dr. Vesna M. Vasić
Guest Editors

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• biosorbents
• adsorption
• heavy metal
• dyes
• pharmaceuticals
• pesticides
• microplastic
• bisphenol A
• phthalates
• parabens