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Application of coal fly ash for trace metal adsorption from wastewater: A review

2024; Elsevier BV; Volume: 10; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31494

2405-8440

Alexis Munyengabe, Maria Banda, Wilma Augustyn, Khathutshelo Netshiongolwe, Denga Ramutshatsha-Makhwedzha,

Recycling and utilization of industrial and municipal waste in materials production

Environmental pollution has become a global issue due to continuing anthropogenic activities that result in the production of enormous amounts of waste and the subsequent release of hazardous trace metals. The increasing levels of trace metals in the environment must be monitored regularly and reduced to prevent contamination of food chain. Numerous conventional technologies that are widely used for the removal of trace metals from environmental matrices have many drawbacks. Currently, the preferred method to remove trace metal ions is the adsorption process, which normally uses adsorbents. This review investigated the applications of coal fly ash (CFA) as a cost-effective adsorbent and the role it plays in the improved properties of nanomaterials that are used for treatment of trace metals. The use of CFA and its role in chemical modification processes results to high removal efficiency of trace metals. CFA is a bi-product of coal combustion and available in abundance and therefore its use is not only beneficial in water treatment processes, but also reduce the burden of solid waste disposal.