Biowaste-derived carbon for wastewater treatment: A sustainable and cost-effective approach

The shortage of clean water has been increasing which necessitates the sustainable wastewater treatment. Traditional adsorbents like activated carbon, derived from fossil fuels, have many environmental and economic challenges. Biowaste-derived carbon materials have been the best alternative due to their sustainability and economic viability. This review explores the vital function of various biowastes (agricultural wastes, food scraps, and livestock manure) as precursors for carbon-based adsorbents and also investigates the conversion techniques such as hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis. Comparative studies demonstrate that biowaste-derived carbon shows excellent adsorption properties of traditional activated carbon, with many advantages. By integrating biowaste-derived carbon with other treatment methods, and sustainable methods can be developed for a cleaner future.