From waste to resource: Sorption properties of biological and industrial sludge

A careful waste management system should primarily define the final destination of industrial and urban waste in order to help reduce its environmental impact. Many materials, derived from sewage sludge and industrial production, are characterized by considerable adsorbing capacity; thus, they can be used as low-cost adsorbents to remove heavy metals and organic pollutants from water and soil. The adsorption capacity of these sludge-based adsorbents (SBAs) depends on their specific properties, such as surface area and surface functional groups, which can be enhanced by suitable physical and/or chemical activation. The choice of using alternative and ecofriendly adsorbents is a means of exploiting different varieties of sludge, moving from them being waste-management liabilities toward becoming environmentally sustainable resources.