Mechanisms of aromatic molecule - Oxygen-containing functional group interactions on carbonaceous material surfaces

Eliminating hazardous pollutants: treatment options for dioxins and surfactants from water and wastewater: an updated review

Surfactants and dioxins are increasingly being released into the environment due to their excessive usage and their improper disposal. These pollutants cause considerable harm to both humans and the natural environment. Therefore, their removal from water and wastewater, which form major pathways for their transmission, is necessary. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to finding a suitable method for the complete removal of these pollutants. The treatment options for both surfactants and dioxins could be similar but differ in terms of removal efficiencies for each. For example, surfactant removal through coagulation resulted in almost 68%, while for dioxins it attained 98% efficiency. Another method tested for the removal of surfactants is nanobubbling which recorded a 99% removal efficiency, while it was found to be inapplicable for the removal of dioxins due to the difference in the structure of the two products. Worth noting is that among the studied removal methods, biochar-based adsorption stands as one of the most promising techniques in terms of removal efficiency, cost, and sustainability covering the two pollutants. This review deals with the sources and impacts of these pollutants and discusses the recent developments in treatment methods, as compared to already-existing methods, for their elimination from water and wastewater, with the objective of highlighting the most sustainable methods for field application.