The use of agro-waste-based adsorbents as sustainable, renewable, and low-cost alternatives for the removal of ibuprofen and carbamazepine from water

The occurrence of residual pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment poses major toxicological impacts and adds to the increasing pressure on water resources. Many countries are already suffering from water scarcity, and with the burdening costs of water and wastewater treatment, the race towards innovative sustainable strategies for pharmaceutical remediation is ongoing. Out of the available treatment methods, adsorption proved to be a promising, environmentally friendly technique, particularly when efficient waste-based adsorbents are produced from agricultural residues, thus maximizing the value of wastes, minimizing production costs, and saving natural resources from depletion. Among the residual pharmaceuticals, ibuprofen and carbamazepine are heavily consumed and highly occurring in the environment. This paper aims to review the most recent literature on the application of agro-waste-based adsorbents as sustainable alternatives for the removal of ibuprofen and carbamazepine from contaminated waters. Highlights on the major mechanisms implicated in the adsorption of ibuprofen and carbamazepine are presented, and light is shed on multiple operational parameters that hold a key role in the adsorption process. This review also highlights the effects of different production parameters on adsorption efficiency and discusses many limitations currently encountered. Finally, an analysis is included to compare the efficiency of agro-waste-based adsorbents relative to other green and synthetic adsorbents. [Display omitted] •Agro-wastes respond to the increasing need of finding sustainable and environmentally friendly raw materials as adsorbent precursors.•Multiple agro-waste-based green adsorbents efficiently remove ibuprofen and carbamazepine from contaminated waters.•pH-dependent electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and attractive pi-stacking interaction with aromatic rings influence the adsorption of ibuprofen.•Non-electrostatic interactions via hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions contribute to carbamazepine adsorption.•Managing spent adsorbents poses a challenge in closing the life cycle analysis of the adsorbent.