A critical review with emphasis on recent pieces of evidence of Moringa oleifera biosorption in water and wastewater treatment

Abstract

AbstractThe increasing demand for using competent and inexpensive methods based on biomaterials, like adsorption and biosorption, has given rise to the low-priced alternative biosorbents. In the past few years, Moringa oleifera (MO) has emerged as a green and low-priced biosorbent for the treatment of contaminated waters with heavy metals and dyes, and given its availability, we can create another generation of effective biosorbents based on different parts of this plant. In this review paper, we have briefed on the application of MO as a miraculous biosorbent for water purification. Moreover, the primary and cutting-edge methods for the purification and modification of MO to improve its adsorption are discussed. It was found that MO has abundant availability in the regions where it is grown, and simple chemical treatments increase the effectiveness of this plant in the treatment of some toxic contaminants. The different parts of this miraculous plant’s “seeds, leaves, or even husks” in their natural form also possess appreciable sorption capacities, high efficiency for treating low metal concentrations, and rapid adsorption kinetics. Thus, the advantages and disadvantages of different parts of MO as biosorbent, the conditions favorable to this biosorption, also, the proposal of a logical mechanism, which can justify the high efficiency of this plant, are discussed in this review. Finally, several conclusions have been drawn from some important works and which are examined in this review, and future suggestions are proposed.