Prospects on arsenic remediation using organic cellulose-based adsorbents

During the past few years, among the most pressing issues afflicting humanity worldwide has been a lack of access to safe drinking water. Arsenic is thought to be one of the most dangerous contaminants in water bodies, that can cause cancer and is a major environmental concern. This necessitates a substantial amount of investigation to identify innovative techniques for detoxifying water at a cheaper cost, reducing the utilization of toxic chemicals and adverse environmental effects. Recently, researchers have become increasingly interested in using cellulose-based adsorbents to remove arsenic from wastewater. Cellulose is attracting recognition owing to its brilliant physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics. In addition, cellulose has numerous hydroxyl groups on its surface, which makes it easy to incorporate chemical moieties and enhances its ability to adsorb pollutants. This review is an attempt to emphasize the potential of cellulose-based materials for radically altering the state of the art in the study of arsenic adsorption. In addition, the chemistry of arsenic, the risks that arsenic poses to human health, as well as the ouster of arsenic by modified cellulose, have all been thoroughly investigated and discussed. Furthermore, obstacles to advancing this technology, prospects, and cost analysis are comprehensively explored. It is apparent from the literature search that cellulose-based adsorbents demonstrate excellent capability for arsenic adsorption. However, it is still necessary to determine the commercial application of these adsorbents, which would lead to an improvement in pollution control.