Sustainable re-utilization of waste materials as adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment in Africa: Recent studies, research gaps, and way forward for emerging economies
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Environmental Advances
Abstract
Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. However, due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization
in many African countries, the emergence of a plethora of new classes of water contaminants coupled with
aging wastewater treatment infrastructure and technologies, access to clean water has remained elusive especially
to rural communities. Additionally, most countries in Africa cannot afford the capital investment associated
with advanced and specialized treatment technologies. The solution seems to be the valorization of locallysourced
waste materials and their use as adsorbents, flocculants/coagulants, or photocatalysts, to be included in
current and future wastewater treatment facilities. The present review presents a concise and comprehensive
compilation, and critique of recent research water purification studies in Africa using waste-based adsorbents.
While the abundance of industrial and agricultural wastes presents opportunity for sustainable exploitation for
water treatment, several gaps warrant further research. Specifically, future research should include life cycle
assessment (LCA) of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and proposed technologies, in-depth cost analysis,
use of environmentally relevant concentrations in simulated studies or real wastewaters and examination of
removal efficiencies for biological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria among others. Waste materials are
shown to be suitable candidates for delivery of effective and techno-economic adsorbents for water purification
in African countries.
Description
Keywords
Wastewater treatment, Pollutants, Adsorption, Waste materials, Africa
Citation
Ngeno, E. C., Mbuci, K. E., Necibi, M. C., Shikuku, V. O., Olisah, C., Ongulu, R., ... & Sillanpää, M. (2022). Sustainable re-utilization of waste materials as adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment in Africa: recent studies, research gaps, and way forward for emerging economies. Environmental Advances, 100282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100282