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Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2026) | Viewed by 15427

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Dr. Daniela Fighir

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Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, 73 D. Mangeron Street, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Interests: wastewater treatment; adsorption; advanced oxidation processes; innovative materials; wastewater recycling and reuse; sustainability assessment; circular economy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advanced treatment of drinking water and wastewater is essential for safeguarding public health and protecting the environment. Among the various treatment methods, adsorption technology is highly effective for removing a broad spectrum of contaminants, including organic pollutants and pathogens.

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in adsorption technology for water and wastewater treatment. Our goal is to address the presence of emerging contaminants, examine innovative adsorption materials and methods, and explore the broader implications of these technologies on water quality and safety.

I invite contributions that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Innovative adsorption materials and their applications in water and wastewater treatment.
Advanced adsorption processes and their efficiency in removing various contaminants.
The development and optimization of adsorption-based systems for water purification.
The impact of adsorption technology on the control of by-products and secondary contaminants.
Economic and environmental assessments of adsorption-based water/wastewater treatment solutions.
Future trends and challenges in the development of adsorption technologies for water and wastewater treatment.

I look forward to your submissions and to advancing our understanding and application of adsorption technology in water and wastewater treatment.

Dr. Daniela Fighir
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

adsorption
innovative materials
emerging pollutants
wastewater treatment
water treatment

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 2600 KB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Wetland Plant-Based Biochar for Aqueous Cr(VI) Adsorption

by Xu Zhang, Mengyi Wei, Xing Gao, Ximo Chen and Suqing Wu

Water 2026, 18(4), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18040503 - 17 Feb 2026

Viewed by 505

Abstract

Due to its advantages in specific surface area and oxygen-containing functional groups, biochar was often utilized for water pollution control. In this study, biochar was prepared from three types of wetland plants—Lotus Leaf, Arundo donax L., and Canna indica L. through slow pyrolysis. This biochar was utilized to adsorb Cr(VI) from wastewater, and the adsorption performance of the biochar under different pyrolysis temperatures and KOH modification ratios was investigated. The experimental results of biochar preparation demonstrated that under the pyrolysis of 500 °C and the lotus leaf powder/KOH mass ratio of 1:3, the prepared biochar (LBC-500(1:3)) exhibited the optimal adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) at a concentration of 50 mg·L⁻¹, with an adsorption capacity reaching up to 27.88 mg·g⁻¹. The optimal pH for Cr(VI) adsorption by LBC-500(1:3) was 3, with an adsorption capacity of 32.14 mg·g⁻¹ at this pH. When the dosage amounted to 60 mg, LBC-500(1:3) demonstrated its highest adsorption capacity for Cr(VI), achieving a maximum of 19.39 mg·g⁻¹. When the initial concentration peaked at 80 mg·L⁻¹, the adsorption capacity was able to attain a value of 34.80 mg·g⁻¹. Characterization analyses of the biochar prior to and subsequent to adsorption were conducted to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms of biochar for Cr(VI). The results revealed that the primary removal mechanisms of LBC-500(1:3) for Cr(VI) were coordination, electrostatic adsorption, and pore filling. The analysis of adsorption kinetics and isotherms revealed that the biochar predominantly adsorbed the Cr(VI) through monomolecular layer chemisorption. Adsorption thermodynamics results demonstrated that the adsorption process of the biochar was a spontaneous endothermic reaction. This study provides new insights and technical support for water pollution control, which holds significant environmental importance and application value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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16 pages, 2546 KB

Open AccessArticle

Boosting Adsorption of Organically Complexed Ni onto Thin-Layered Porous Biomass-Derived Carbon

by Zarak Mahmood, Yuting Yuan, Shikha Garg, Yong Chen, Xiao Li, Tao Cui, Christopher Miller, Muhammad Haris, Yuan Wang and T. David Waite

Water 2026, 18(3), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18030371 - 31 Jan 2026

Viewed by 494

Abstract

Ni removal from waste streams wherein it is present in organically complexed forms remains a major industrial challenge since organically bound Ni does not readily precipitate and is poorly removed by conventional adsorbents. In this work, two effective adsorbents, namely thin-layered porous carbon (TLPC) and MnO₂-decorated TLPC (i.e., MnO₂-TLPC), were developed for the removal of both inorganic and organically complexed Ni(II) from synthetic and real waste streams. Both adsorbents removed inorganic Ni(II) as well as Ni(II) present in organically complexed forms, achieving up to ~80% removal from both real and synthetic electroplating wastewater. Critically, Ni removal efficiencies were maintained over five adsorption–desorption cycles, demonstrating excellent regeneration and reuse potential. The Ni removal by TLPC was pH-dependent, whereas MnO₂-TLPC showed minimal pH sensitivity. TLPC relies on outer-sphere, charge-driven adsorption, whereas MnO₂-TLPC achieves stronger Ni binding through inner-sphere complexation promoted by oxygen- and nitrogen-based functional groups. The sorbents also reduced dissolved organic carbon, with TLPC displaying higher organic removal efficiency. Mechanistic analysis indicates that Ni uptake is primarily governed by sorption of both complexed and inorganic Ni(II) present in equilibrium with the complex, combined with sorption of the free ligand itself. The sorption of the free ligands and inorganic Ni(II) drive Ni–ligand decomplexation in the solution phase, enabling further Ni removal. Overall, TLPC provides a low-cost, high-performance option for treating alkaline wastewaters with elevated Ni and organic loadings, while MnO₂-TLPC offers robust, pH-resilient removal under circumneutral conditions. These findings position both materials as promising candidates for practical wastewater treatment applications targeting complexed metal contaminants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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15 pages, 4772 KB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Na-P1 Zeolite from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash for Efficient Adsorption of Tetracycline from Aqueous Solution

by Huiyong Wu, Tingting Dong, Zhou Zhang, Shengjun Zhang, Haiyang Wang and Yue Cheng

Water 2025, 17(21), 3118; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17213118 - 30 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 971

Abstract

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash, classified as hazardous waste (HW18) due to the presence of heavy metals and dioxins, necessitates both harmless treatment and resource utilization. In this study, a Na-P1 zeolite adsorbent was synthesised from MSW incineration fly ash using its intrinsic Si and Al sources, supplemented by silica sol and sodium aluminate solution. The synthesised zeolite was employed for the adsorption removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) from wastewater. Under the optimised conditions (initial TCH concentration of 10 mg·L⁻¹, adsorbent dosage of 0.4 g·L⁻¹, pH 5.0, temperature 45 °C, and contact time 60 min), a maximum adsorption capacity of 14.8 mg·g⁻¹ and a removal efficiency of 59.1% were achieved. Kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption process followed the pseudo-first-order model (R² = 0.975). The Langmuir isotherm provided a better fit than the Freundlich model (R² = 0.988), indicating monolayer adsorption on homogeneous sites. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG < 0, ΔH > 0) confirmed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic, with higher temperatures favoring enhanced TCH adsorption. This work demonstrates the feasibility of converting hazardous MSW incineration fly ash into a value-added Na-P1 zeolite adsorbent with excellent performance for antibiotic wastewater treatment, thereby offering a sustainable strategy for fly ash resource recovery and environmental remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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35 pages, 9597 KB

Open AccessArticle

Organic Adsorbents for Removing Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM): Toward Low-Cost Water Purification

by Riana Ayu Kusumadewi, Firdaus Ali, Sucipta Laksono, Nandy Putra, Andhy M. Fathoni, Khairu Rezqi and Teuku Meurah Indra Mahlia

Water 2025, 17(16), 2433; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162433 - 17 Aug 2025

Viewed by 2496

Abstract

The existence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic environments presents significant challenges to both the environment and public health. This study examines the adsorption efficacy of six organic adsorbents, such as three commercial (coconut shells [CS], palm kernel shells [PKS], and graphite [GR]) and three waste-based materials (plantain peels [PP], water hyacinth leaves [WHL], and corn cobs [CC]) for DOM removal. The waste-derived adsorbents were prepared using thermal and chemical activation techniques, while the commercial adsorbents were used in their standard forms. Adsorption experiments were conducted and analyzed using both kinetic and isotherm models to evaluate removal efficiency and underlying mechanisms. Kinetic modeling revealed that CS, PP, CC, and GR followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, PKS conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics, and WHL exhibited intra-particle diffusion dominance. The Freundlich isotherm model effectively characterizes the adsorption equilibrium for every material, indicating the multilayer adsorption and heterogeneity of the adsorbent surfaces. Among all tested materials, GR showed the highest DOM removal efficiency (up to 96%) and excellent thermal stability, making it the most effective adsorbent overall. WHL also showed competitive performance, while CS emerged as the most economically viable option despite having slightly lower removal efficiency. Surface area alone does not guarantee adsorption efficiency. Pore accessibility (governed by size/distribution) and surface chemistry (functional group diversity) are equally critical. The findings suggest that both commercial and waste-derived adsorbents hold promise for sustainable and cost-effective water treatment applications. Integrating such materials could enhance the circular economy and offer scalable solutions for addressing water quality issues in developing regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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20 pages, 2156 KB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Removal of Toxic Heavy Metals on Kaolinite-Based Clay: Adsorption Characteristics, Mechanism and Applicability Perspectives

by Bianca-Elena Azanfire, Dumitru Bulgariu, Nicanor Cimpoeşu and Laura Bulgariu

Water 2025, 17(13), 1938; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131938 - 28 Jun 2025

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2826

Abstract

In this study, kaolinite-based clay (Ka-Clay) was used as an adsorbent for the efficient removal of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) ions from aqueous media. The selection of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) ions for experimental studies took into account their high toxicity, while the choice of Ka-Clay, the ease of preparation and high availability of this material were the most important arguments. Ka-Clay exhibits high adsorption performance, with removal percents over 98% for Pb(II) and 93% for Cd(II), even at high concentrations of metal ions (over 150 mg/L, pH = 6.5, 4 g adsorbent/L, 21 ± 1 °C). For Hg(II) ions, the adsorption percent does not exceed 55%, and this moderate value is mainly due to the significant change in pH. The adsorption behavior was in accordance with the Langmuir model (R² > 0.95) and the pseudo-second order kinetic model (R² > 0.99), indicating an adsorption process that occurs mainly through chemical interactions at the adsorbent surface between the metal ions and the functional groups. Adsorption processes are spontaneous (ΔG = −8.66 ÷ −15.76 kJ/mol) and endothermic (ΔH = 7.09 ÷ 21.81 kJ/mol), and the adsorption mechanism is the results of elementary processes of electrostatic attraction, ion exchange and superficial complexation. The insignificant effect of other ions (Ca(II), Mg(II), Na(I), K(I)) present in real wastewater samples as well as the desorption behavior of exhausted adsorbent highlight the practical utility of this adsorbent on a large scale. The experimental results included in this study suggest that Ka-Clay can be used as a promising adsorbent for the removal of high concentrations of toxic heavy metals with low cost and high efficiency, and this can contribute to the design of a sustainable wastewater treatment method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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21 pages, 20794 KB

Open AccessArticle

Pb²⁺ Adsorption, Performance, and Response Surface Optimization of Hydroxyapatite Nanowire Sodium Alginate Aerogel (HSA)

by Weiyuan Cao, Zixuan Yang, Ren Liu, Zilin Zhang, Guokuan Chen, Zilin Zhou and Liwei Xu

Water 2025, 17(5), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050631 - 21 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1200

Abstract

A novel composite biomass aerogel adsorbent (HSA) was prepared by dual physical and chemical cross-linking using sodium alginate (SA) as an organic biomass template and hydroxyapatite nanowires (HAPNWs) as an inorganic biomass skeleton. The structure of the HSA was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and stress testing. One-factor experiments were conducted focusing on adsorption conditions at a Pb ion concentration of 300 mg/L, and the adsorption conditions were optimized using the response surface method. The optimal conditions obtained by numerical optimization using Design-Expert 13 were as follows: pH of 7.23, adsorption temperature of 35.42 °C, and adsorption time of 1050.73 min; the optimal adsorption capacity was 278.874 mg/g. To further reveal the adsorption mechanism of HSA, its adsorption model and kinetics were analyzed. Adsorption was most consistent with the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model, while the kinetics were most consistent with the pseudo-secondary kinetic model. R² reached 0.9986, indicating a mono-molecular layer of adsorption by heat, while the main adsorption mechanism was chemisorption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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15 pages, 3922 KB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing the Fluoride Adsorption Efficiency of Diatomaceous Earth Through Modification with Ce/Al/Fe Metal Oxides

by Tshilidzi L. Budeli, Wilson M. Gitari and Rabelani Mudzielwana

Water 2025, 17(1), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17010129 - 6 Jan 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1779

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 calls for the development of technologies to improve water quality for human consumption to ensure that there is clean drinking water for everyone by 2030. This study aims to contribute to the goal by synthesizing Ce/Al/Fe metal oxide-modified diatomaceous earth for the adsorption of fluoride from drinking water. Adsorption experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of the Ce/Al/Fe metal oxide-modified diatomaceous earth in regard to fluoride adsorption. About 98% fluoride removal efficiency was obtained from an initial fluoride concentration of 5 mg/L, using a 0.6 g/100 mL adsorbent dosage, at an initial pH range from 4 to 10, after 50 min agitation time. The adsorption kinetics models revealed that fluoride adsorption occurred via chemisorption, while the isotherm models confirmed both monolayer and multilayer adsorption. Thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous, endothermic, and random, as denoted by the negative ΔG°, positive ΔH°, and positive ΔS°, respectively. Regeneration studies showed that Ce/Al/Fe metal oxide-modified diatomaceous earth can be reused for eight successive regeneration–reuse cycles. This study revealed that the modification of diatomaceous earth with Ce/Al/Fe metal oxides enhances its fluoride adsorption capacity and that it is suitable for use in the defluoridation of groundwater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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17 pages, 2665 KB

Open AccessArticle

Aqueous-Medium Arsenic(V) Removal Using Iron Oxide-Coated Ignimbrite

by Leslie Diana Velarde-Apaza, Azucena Chávez-Collantes, Richard Solorzano-Acosta, Juan-Pablo Cuevas and José Antonio Villanueva-Salas

Water 2025, 17(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17010053 - 28 Dec 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2197

Abstract

Arsenate As(V) is a toxic contaminant commonly found in aquifers and groundwater that poses significant risks to human health. The effective treatment of arsenic-contaminated water is therefore crucial for safeguarding public health. This study investigates removing As(V) using iron oxide-coated ignimbrite in batch experiments by varying the adsorbent dosage, initial As(V) concentration, contact time, and system temperature. The adsorption experiments revealed that the Langmuir isotherm model better fit the data (R² = 0.99) than the Freundlich model (R² = 0.73). According to the Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity of As(V) on the iron oxide-coated ignimbrite was 4.84 mg·g⁻¹ ± 0.12 mg·g⁻¹ of As(V), with a standard deviation of ±0.05 mg·g⁻¹ after 2 h of exposure with 0.15 g/50 mL iron oxide-coated ignimbrite adsorbent concentration. In the kinetic analysis, the pseudo-first-order model best described the adsorption process at 283 K, 293 K, and 303 K, although the pseudo-second-order model also showed an adequate fit, particularly at 293 K. This indicates that, while the pseudo-first-order model is generally more suitable under these conditions, the pseudo-second-order model may also apply under certain circumstances. The results of the batch experiments demonstrate that iron oxide-coated ignimbrite is a promising adsorbent for effectively reducing high concentrations of As(V) in contaminated water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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13 pages, 8518 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Performance and Mechanism of Solvothermal Synthesis of a Ca-Fe-La Composite for Enhanced Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solutions

by Xiaojun Xu, Qili Hu, Weiyi Qu, Hengyuan Liu and Zhihao He

Water 2024, 16(20), 2932; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16202932 - 15 Oct 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1650

Abstract

Since it is a limiting nutrient element in rivers and lakes, the effective removal of phosphorus is key to alleviating eutrophication. In this study, the one-pot solvothermal method was adopted to prepare an environmentally friendly Ca-Fe-La composite. This is an amorphous material with a large specific surface area of 278.41 m² g⁻¹. The effects of coexisting anions and pH on the phosphate removal performance were explored. Phosphate adsorption mechanisms were revealed by various characterization techniques. The phosphate adsorption obeyed the fractal-like pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic model, implying that the overall adsorption system was highly heterogeneous. In this work, the maximum adsorption capacity predicted by the Langmuir model was 93.0 mg g⁻¹ (as PO₄³⁻-P). The phosphate-loaded Ca-Fe-La composite could be used as a slow-release fertilizer, achieving waste management and resource utilization. The presence of SO₄²⁻, CO₃²⁻ and HCO₃⁻ anions inhibited the phosphate adsorption significantly. It was unfavorable for phosphate removal at a high pH value. Inner-sphere complexation and electrostatic attraction were mainly responsible for phosphate adsorption onto the Ca-Fe-La composite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Adsorption Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment)

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