Comparative study of various carbonaceous materials for adsorption of inorganic and organic pollutants in wastewater

Over the years, environmental pollution has grown to be a worldwide problem affecting every part of the world where life exists. Water pollution, in particular, is one of the most worrying forms of environmental pollution, as water is vital to all life forms and human activities. Water pollution or contamination is defined as the introduction of foreign substances to water bodies, which consequently renders the water unusable for consumption, cooking, cleaning, and other activities. These foreign substances can be classified as inorganic pollutants, organic pollutants, nutrients and agriculture pollutants, pathogens and suspended solids. These pollutants find their way into water bodies through various pathways originating from municipal, industrial, and/or mine effluents as shown in Figure 1. For example, inorganic and organic pollutants end up in water bodies from the runoff of sewage and industrial effluents. As water bodies become increasingly contaminated with these pollutants, ecosystems and human health continue to be threatened.