Surfactant-influenced biosorption as a sustainable and effective way for the eradication of environmental pollutants: a review

The biosorption process offers a sustainable and promising solution for treating wastewater contaminated with industrial effluents containing dyes, heavy metals, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and phenolic compounds. Different types of biomass, such as agricultural waste products, animal waste, biopolymers, etc., have been reported in contemporary times as environmentally friendly, low-cost, and efficient materials for treating different categories of wastewater. Many researchers often utilized surfactants to modify the surface properties of these biomaterials to enhance their removal efficiency. A considerable amount of research conducted on surfactant-modified biomaterials (SMBs) for treating wastewater in modern times has prompted us to prepare a review article on the same. The main aim of the current article is to focus on the recent developments that took place in this field, the behavior of different surfactants towards different categories of pollutants, and explore underlying mechanisms in depth. Notable advancements, such as the practice of new optimization techniques and the deployment of SMBs for real wastewater decontamination, have also been highlighted. The emergence of SMBs in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) has been justified. Several current hindrances, along with future outlooks, are briefly presented before the conclusion. This review aims to be highly relevant in the present times, encouraging scientists and engineers to explore novel SMBs for industrial effluent clean-up programs.