Najlae Zaki, Asmae Charki, Oumaima Fraiha, Hossain El Ouarghi, Hassan Amhamdi, Amin Salhi, Abdellah Elyoussfi, M’hamed Ahari
Contamination of heavy metal in wastewater presents a major environmental challenge due to the toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulative nature of these pollutants. Adsorption is recognized as a reliable and flexible approach for the removal of heavy metals. This review explores the mechanisms of adsorption and highlights various types of adsorbents, including natural, synthetic, and nanomaterial-based options, which have shown high efficiency in capturing metal ions. The study examines the main factors affecting adsorption performance, including different parameters such as initial metal concentration, and characteristics of adsorbent. Additionally, it discusses the advantages and limitations of various adsorbents, as well as the need for further research on optimizing adsorption conditions and developing new materials. Overall, adsorption, combined with advances in adsorbent technologies, represents a promising solution for mitigating heavy metal pollution in wastewater, contributing to both environmental and human health protection.