Heavy Metals In Wastewater Research Articles

Physiological regulation of microalgae under cadmium stress and response mechanisms of time-series analysis using metabolomics

The investigation of heavy metal wastewater treatment utilizing microalgae adsorption has been extensively demonstrated. However, the response mechanism based on metabolomics to analyze the time-series changes of microalgae under Cd stress has not been described in detail. In this study, SEM/TEM demonstrated that Cd accumulated on the cell surface of microalgae and was bioconcentrated in the cytoplasm, vesicles, and chloroplasts. Carbonyl/quinone/ketone/carboxyl groups (OCO), membrane polysaccharides (OH), and phospholipids (PO) were involved in the interaction of Cd ions, and the chlorophyll content underwent a process of decreasing in the early stage (1.62 mg/g at 48 h) and recovering to the normal level in the late stage, and the contents of MDA, GSH, and SOD were all increased (29.7 nmol/g, 0.23 mg/g, and 30.01 u/106 cells) and then gradually returned to the steady state. The results of EPS content and fluorescent labeling showed that Cd induced the overexpression and synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and proteins, which is one of the defense mechanisms participating in the reduction of cellular damage by complexed Cd. Metabolomics results indicated that the malate synthesis pathway was activated after Cd-20 h, and the microalgal cells began to shift the metabolic pathway to storage lipid or polysaccharide biosynthesis. In the Calvin cycle, the expression of D-Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate in Cd-20 h_vs_ck and Cd-72 h_vs_Cd-20 h firstly declined and then increased, and the photosynthesis system was suppressed at the beginning, and then gradually returned to normal to maintain the successful development of the dark reaction. The results of time series analysis revealed that the response of microalgae to Cd was categorized into fast response and slow response to regulate cell adsorption and growth metabolism.

All-in-one chitosan-based aerogel with a semi-clad structure for solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation is a promising technique for recovering clean fresh water and alleviating water scarcity. In this work, an all-in-one chitosan-based composite aerogel with a highly porous semi-clad structure was fabricated. In the process of interfacial water evaporation, the hydrophilic outer layer of the aerogel efficiently transported water to the upper surface through two-dimensional transport channels. Simultaneously, it rapidly converted absorbed sunlight into heat, demonstrating excellent photothermal conversion capabilities for efficient water evaporation. The hydrophobic inner core enabled the aerogel to float stably on the water surface, and had a low thermal conductivity to reduce heat dissipation into the water body. Under 1 sun illumination (1 kW m−2), the composite aerogel showed an evaporation rate of up to 1.547 kg m−2 h−1, corresponding to an evaporation efficiency of 91.47 %. Notably, the composite aerogel demonstrated high stability and recyclability in desalination and heavy metal wastewater treatment, which had great potential in recovering both clean water and heavy metal salts. The evaporator with a semi-clad structure had practical applications in solar desalination and sewage treatment due to its stable and efficient evaporation performance and simple preparation method.

Enhanced removal of copper ions from wastewater using small spherical Fe-N-C material via selective electro-sorption: Experiment and calculation

In the current research, the resource recovery technology for Cu-containing wastewater from electroplating is still a difficult problem. Capacitive deionization technology (CDI) has received widespread attention for its strengths of convenient operation, low cost, and environmentally friendly. In this paper, Fe-N-C was prepared as the electrode material for the treatment of Cu-containing wastewater by capacitive deionization technology through one-pot thermal method. The optimum treatment conditions of Fe-N-C for Cu-containing wastewater were voltage equal to 1 V, pH = 5, and the inlet flow rate was 5 mL/min. The electro-adsorption capacity of a single Cu-containing solution of 400 mg/L could reach 389.4 mg/g. Meanwhile, by carrying out ion competition experiments on five cations, namely Zn2+, Na+, Mg2+, K+, and Cu2+, which demonstrated Fe-N-C had a significant selectivity for the electro-adsorption removal of Cu2+. Theoretical calculations revealed that Fe3N and Fe4N were more dominant for Cu2+ adsorption energy and more binding for competing ions in the monovalent state, but had less practical effect on Cu2+ adsorption. The morphology of the Fe-N-C was analyzed in more depth by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and other characterization methods. Combined with density functional calculations, Cu would not only displace with Fe in FeXN to form a more stable CuXN structure, but also combine with FeXN to form a Cu-FeXN structure. This is conducive to accelerating the application of CDI to recover Cu2+ from heavy metal wastewater.

Effects of Cu (II) on the Growth of Chlorella vulgaris and Its Removal Efficiency of Pollutants in Synthetic Piggery Digestate.

C. vulgaris has a positive effect on the removal of nutrients from pig farm biogas slurry. However, swine wastewater often contains heavy metal ions, such as Cu (II), which may have impacts on the nutrient removal performance of C. vulgaris. Additionally, the heavy metal ions in wastewater can be adsorbed by microalgae. In this study, the stress effect of Cu (II) on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris, the Cu (II) removal by microalgae, and the effect of different concentrations of Cu (II) on the nutrient removal efficiency of C. vulgaris in biogas slurries were explored. The results showed that the microalgae biomass of microalgae on the sixth day of the experiment was the highest in the treatment with a Cu (II) concentration of 0.5 mg/L, which was 30.1% higher than that of the 2.5 mg/L group. C. vulgaris had higher removal efficiencies of Cu (II) at a Cu (II) concentration of 0.1~1.5 mg/L. The-OH, C=O, -COOH, and C-O groups on the surface of the algal cells play a significant role in the removal of Cu (II). The removal rates of COD, NH3-N, TN, and TP by C. vulgaris at a Cu (II) concentration of 0.5 mg/L were the highest, which were 89.0%, 53.7%, 69.6%, and 47.3%, respectively.

Highly efficient recovery of Zn2+/Cu2+ from water by using hydrotalcite as crystal seeds

The efficient and waste-free recovery of heavy metals is critical for heavy metal wastewater treatment. In this work, we explored how heavy metals can be recovered as valuable chemicals in the presence of crystal seeds. Hydrotalcite (one kind of layered double hydroxides (LDHs)) was used as crystal seeds to recover Zn2+ in the presence of Al3+ from water (i.e., seed-Zn2+-Al3+ system), which was compared with the monometallic heterogeneous system (seed-Zn2+) and direct coprecipitation (Zn2+-Al3+) system. Our results demonstrated that the seed-Zn2+-Al3+ system possessed a recovery rate of 2.6–2.8 times and a recovery kinetic rate of 2.7–5.9 times higher than those of the other two systems. Differing from the latter two systems, hydrotalcite seeds could induce Zn2+ and Al3+ to form ZnAl-LDH in seed-Zn2+-Al3+. Interestingly, the ZnAl-LDH presents a compositional divalent/trivalent cation molar ratio of ca. 3, which is comparable with the value in the hydrotalcite. It was demonstrated that the hydrotalcite seeds could act as a template to significantly induce the formation of ZnAl-LDH complying with the seed's structure and compositional ratio. Similar induction effect of seeds as the Zn2+ system was further verified in Cu2+ systems. This work provides a novel strategy for efficient recovery of heavy metals with product selectivity.

Ion-exchangeable and sorptive reinforced membranes for efficient electrochemical removal of heavy metal ions in wastewater

This study presents the design, characterization, and application of a novel multifunctional membrane specifically developed for an electrochemical system similar to electrodialysis, with the objective of removing low-concentration copper ions from semiconductor wastewater. The membranes were fabricated using the pore-filling method, where porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrates were impregnated with monomer blend solutions containing vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA) and crosslinking agents, such as polyethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), acrylated thiourea (ATU), and acrylated tannic acid (ATA), with the ladder two synthesized crosslinkers serving roles as sorptive functionality. These pore-filling membranes exhibited excellent mechanical and dimensional stability, rendering them suitable for application in the electrochemical metal ion sorption system. To evaluate the performance of the fabricated membrane, several key parameters were assessed, including ion exchange capacity (IEC), ionic conductivity (∼110.6 mS/cm), and excellent reusability. Batch-type sorption experiments were conducted to investigate the sorption performance at pH 5 and pH 7, and as a result of applying the membranes to the electrochemical sorption removal system, the membranes demonstrated remarkable efficacy, reducing the copper concentration from 1 ppm to 0.01 ppm. Finally, we confirmed the membrane's ability to remove less than 0.01 ppm of copper even in industrial semiconductor wastewater, validating its practical applicability.

Application of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis for Heavy Metal Bioremediation in Wastewater from Wupa Wastewater Treatment Plant, Abuja, Nigeria.

Water pollution is a huge issue on a global scale and is on the rise because of growing human activity and population, unsustainable farming methods, and quick industrialization. There is an increasing demand for innovative wastewater treatment techniques and there is also the need to establish rigorous operational guidelines in discharging wastewater into the environment. This study examined the application of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis for heavy metal bioremediation in wastewater from Wupa Wastewater Treatment Plant, Abuja, Nigeria. Wastewater samples (Effluent) were collected from WUPA treatment plant, Abuja. The physiochemical parameters which include pH, Temperature, Conductivity, Turbidity, TDS, DO, BOD, COD wastewater was carried out and heavy metal analysis was carried out before and after treatment of the wastewater. The results showed the pH, conductivity BOD, DO and TDS of the wastewatewater;ered significantly (p<0.05) with the control and treated water, however the temperature of the wastewater does not differ significantly with the control and treated water. In the screen pump, the pH and temperature the untreated water shows no significant difference (p>0.05) with the control and treated water, however the conductivity, BOD5, DO and TDS of the wastewater differs significantly (p<0.05) with control and treated water. Inoculums of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus species were prepared to aid the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. The removal of heavy metal was determined using AAS. The result revealed a significant reduction in the concentration of heavy metals in treated water samples compared to the untreated waters samples (p<0.05). In conclusion, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis showed good remediation potentials as it reduces the heavy metals (Lead, cadmium, chromium, and zinc) within WHO specification against their initial concentrations and control. Finally, the findings of this study recommend the use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis for the remediation of heavy metals in wastewater.

危险废物多种重金属废水的预处理工艺研究

危险废物多种重金属废水的预处理工艺研究

An efficient hexavalent chromium scavenger: Polyaniline

Hexavalent chromium ions are a significant type of heavy metal pollutant in water, posing a severe threat to the environment and biological health. Various methods are employed for treating heavy metal wastewater, including traditional, biological, physical, and chemical adsorption, and membrane separation methods. This study focuses on utilizing chemical oxidation polymerization to synthesize polyaniline, followed by structural characterization and performance evaluation. The research shows the material’s exceptional adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) ions under different conditions. The experiments specifically demonstrate a direct relationship between the rate of removal and the proportion of adsorbent utilized in comparison to the Cr(VI) initial concentration. Furthermore, adjusting the pH level during testing shows an increase in the removal rate as the pH decreases, with a peak removal rate of 57.94% at pH 1.02. By aligning with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, the material demonstrates its potential for efficient and effective removal of Cr(VI) contaminants.

Enhanced microalgal biomass and lipid production with simultaneous effective removal of Cd using algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium added with organic carbon source

Recently, using microalgae to remediate heavy metal polluted water has been attained a huge attention. However, heavy metals are generally toxic to microalgae and consequently decrease biomass accumulation. To address this issue, the feasibility of adding exogenous glucose, employing algae-bacteria system and algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium to enhance microalgae growth were evaluated. The result showed that Cd2+ removal efficiency was negatively correlated with microalgal specific growth rate. The exogenous glucose alleviated the heavy metal toxicity to algal cells and thus increased the microalgae growth rate. Among the different treatments, the algae-bacteria-activated carbon combination had the highest biomass concentration (1.15 g L−1) and lipid yield (334.97 mg L−1), which were respectively 3.03 times of biomass (0.38 g L−1) and 4.92 times of lipid yield (68.08 mg L−1) in the single microalgae treatment system. Additionally, this algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium remained a high Cd2+ removal efficiency (91.61%). In all, the present study developed an approach that had a great potential in simultaneous heavy metal wastewater treatment and microalgal lipid production.

Wood aerogels decorated amino-functionalized MIL-101(Cr) as efficient filter for multistage purification of wastewater

Exploring novel water purifier to efficiently remove heavy metal ions from the wastewater is of vital importance. Inspired by the hierarchical structure of natural wood and the chelation of amino group, a high-efficiency water purifier with ethylenediamine functionalized MIL-101(Cr) octahedrons anchored on the wood aerogel (MIL-101(Cr)-ED/WA) was constructed. Benefiting from the two-pronged approach with the hierarchical structure of the wood aerogel frame for multistage filtration and the –NH2 that capable of chelation with metal ions, the fabricated MIL-101(Cr)-ED/WA exhibits excellent water purification performances, and its adsorption capacity of toxic Pb2+ ions could reach up to 6.46 mmol g−1. Furthermore, it demonstrates superior recyclability without secondary pollution and is also suitable for simultaneous treatment of multiple metal species. In general, this work will broaden the utilization of wood-based structural engineering materials in the treatment of heavy metal wastewater.

Immobilized algae for heavy metals remediation in textile wastewater

Textile wastewater has characteristics of concentrated color and containing high concentration of COD, BOD, N, P, and heavy metals. Some wastewater treatments have been developed for removal waste contaminant, especially heavy metal such as precipitation, evaporation, electroplating, ion exchange, and membrane process. These methods have disadvantages such as unpredictable of heavy metal, high reagent requirement, and generation of toxic sludge. Biosorption using immobilized algae give the alternative method to removal heavy metal in textile wastewater because of increased stability in the matrix. The main purpose of this research was to determine the adsorption of textile wastewater heavy metal using immobilized microalgae. The best ratio bead: wastewater (v/v) for removal heavy metal by immobilized microalgae of textile wastewater heavy metal in batch system was 1:3. Heavy metal Cu decreased as much as 89% with the highest final concentration of 0.2 ppm. Ability of Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis to reduce heavy metals Cr was 89% and 90% with a final concentration of 1.6 ppm and 1.5 ppm. Uptake heavy metal Cu and Cr of textile wastewater by Chlorella vulgaris reach 1.9 mg/g and 16.3 mg/g. Meanwhile for Spirulina platensis reach 1.7 mg/g and 14.7 mg/g. Based on the Langmuir equation, biosorption by Chlorella vulgaris have qmax and Kb value of heavy metal Cu was 1,984 mg/g and 0,014 mg/L. On heavy metal Cr, qmax and Kb value were 15.873 mg/g and 0.079 mg/L. Spirulina platensis have qmax and Kb value of heavy metal Cu were 1,798 mg/g and 0,014 mg/L. On heavy metal Cr qmax and Kb value were 14.925 mg/g and 0.0445 mg/L.

Trapping of heavy metal ions from electroplating wastewater with phosphorylated double-shelled hollow spheres

The mesoporous multi-shelled hollow structures are promising for trapping of non-degradable heavy metal ions in wastewater but difficult to synthesize. We successfully demonstrated a simple strategy for the construction of mesopore windows on double-shelled α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres. A step-by-step proof of concept synthesis mechanism has been revealed by using mainly electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. We proved that mesopore windows are indispensable to realize the complete surface coverage of phosphonate ligands on α-Fe2O3 double-shelled hollow spheres. The phosphonic groups inherently coordinated with Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions and formed complexes of high stability. Importantly, owing to the structural merits, the phosphorylated double-shelled hollow spheres selectively removes Ni(II) and Cu(II) at wider sample pH range with a high capacity of 380 mg g−1 and 410 mg g−1, respectively. In addition, no significant decrease in the removal efficiency was observed under high salt matrix. For electroplating industry wastewater, the novel structure performs simultaneous Ni(II) and Cu(II) removal, thus producing effluent of stable quality that meets local discharge regulations.

Modulating Charge Percolation in Biocompatible Norbornene Redox-Active Polymers Obtained Via ROMP

Organic redox-active materials are actively being developed as next-generation energy storage systems. These materials have multiple advantages, including superior chemical and physical properties, and excellent electrochemical storage performance compared to metal-based inorganic materials. Specifically, redox-active and conductive polymers have been used over organic single molecules due to the advantages that polymeric materials offer such as good stability, excellent processability, and simple device fabrication. Furthermore, we can adjust the synthetic process to obtain a wide range of desirable properties and can incorporate conductive and redox-active polymers into biological entities to carry out bio-inspired functions such as shuttling electrons through wastewater mediated processes or sensing of heavy metals in wastewater. By leveraging natural processes, our goal is to engineer resistant and sustainable energy storage technologies using conductive and redox-active polymers. To that end, we present the synthesis and characterization, including material and electrochemical characterizations, of biocompatible norbornene redox-active polymers in which we modulated charge percolation by copolymerizing with a water-soluble polymer for potential applications in bio-inspired redox-flow batteries.

Engineered Bacillus subtilis Biofilm@Biochar living materials for in-situ sensing and bioremediation of heavy metal ions pollution

The simultaneous sensing and remediation of multiple heavy metal ions in wastewater or soil with microorganisms is currently a significant challenge. In this study, the microorganism Bacillus subtilis was used as a chassis organism to construct two genetic circuits for sensing and adsorbing heavy-metal ions. The engineered biosensor can sense three heavy metal ions (0.1–75 μM of Pb2+ and Cu2+, 0.01–3.5 μM of Hg2+) in situ real-time with high sensitivity. The engineered B. subtilis TasA-metallothionein (TasA-MT) biofilm can specifically adsorb metal ions from the environment, exhibiting remarkable removal efficiencies of 99.5% for Pb2+, 99.9% for Hg2+and 99.5% for Cu2+ in water. Furthermore, this engineered strain (as a biosensor and absorber of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Hg2+) was incubated with biochar to form a hybrid biofilm@biochar (BBC) material that could be applied in the bioremediation of heavy metal ions. The results showed that BBC material not only significantly reduced exchangeable Pb2+ in the soil but also reduced Pb2+ accumulation in maize plants. In addition, it enhanced maize growth and biomass. In conclusion, this study examined the potential applications of biosensors and hybrid living materials constructed using sensing and adsorption circuits in B. subtilis, providing rapid and cost-effective tools for sensing and remediating multiple heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cu2+).

Amine-functionalized UiO-66 incorporated electrospun cellulose/chitosan porous nanofibrous membranes for removing copper ions

Cellulose (CE)/chitosan (CS)/amine-functionalized zirconium 1, 4-dicarboxybenzene metal–organic framework (UiO-66-NH2) porous nanofiber membranes were prepared by direct electrospinning and surface in-situ growth and then used to remove copper ions (Cu2+) from polluted water. The micro-morphology, porosity, thermal stability, chemical groups, crystallographic structure, and adsorption performance of CE/CS/UiO-66-NH2 nanofibrous membranes were characterized. The hydrophilicity, thermal stability, and adsorption capacity of the membranes were greatly improved by incorporating UiO-66-NH2. The direct electrospinning CE/CS/UiO-66-NH2 nanofibers displayed the irregular, bumpy shapes and large fiber diameters (768.99–1039.74 nm). They also increased the chemical active sites due to the effective and uniform combination of UiO-66-NH2 with nanofibers. This resulted in a superior adsorption performance than the one with in-situ preparation. The CE/CS/UiO-66-NH2-5 showed the highest adsorption capacity of 121.16 mg g−1 and a removal rate of 90.69 %. The optimal Cu2+ adsorption conditions were obtained at an initial Cu2+ concentration of 100 mg L-1 and in weakly acidic media (pH = 5). The Langmuir model was optimal to describe Cu2+ adsorption of the nanofibrous membranes. The adsorption process involved both physical adsorption with chemical adsorption. This provides a novel strategy to combine metal–organic frameworks with the natural biomasses via electrospinning, which shows a promising application for efficient remediation of heavy metal ions in wastewater.

The Potential of Commercial Biomass-Based Activated Carbon to Remove Heavy Metals in Wastewater – A Review

Commercial activated carbon is a type of adsorbent commonly used in adsorption processes. However, the use of commercial carbon in wastewater treatment is still limited, due to the scarce availability of precursors and their high cost. Biomass as an activated carbon precursor has been reported to have high efficiency in removing various heavy metals in wastewater. This study aims to review the potential of biomass-based activated carbon to adsorb heavy metals in terms of biomass constituent components, heavy metal removal, and future prospects. The method in this study is a systematic literature review, or SLR, to collect data from online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. The results show that biomass-based activated carbon is effective in the removal of heavy metals in various types of wastewater. The removal effectiveness for different types of biomass ranged from 84–99% for Pb2+ ions, 55–92% for Cd2+ ions, 84–99% for Pb2+ ions, 96% for As2+ ions, 80–100% for Cr2+ ions, 25–97% for Fe2+ ions, 50–99% for Ni2+ ions, and 62–98% for Cu2+ ions, and 98% for Ti ions. These results show that heavy metals have different affinities to activated carbon from biomass, from all heavy metals, Fe2+ and Cd2+ ions have the lowest affinity, so the activated carbon used to remove Fe2+ and Cd2+ metals needs to be produced with higher porosity and surface area. The removal of heavy metals using activated carbon from biomass is limited by adsorbent dosage, contact time, solution pH, temperature, initial adsorbate concentration, particle size, and stirring speed. In future research, it is expected that activated carbon from biomass has a high adsorption capacity, is economical cost, is environmentally friendly and can be used on a larger scale.

Poly (Acrylic Acid-Acrylamide) Hydrogel for Ni(II) and Cr(III) Adsorption: Isotherm, Kinetics and Thermodynamic Studies

The use of a hydrogel composed of poly acrylic acid acrylamide (AA-AAm) as an adsorbent for removing nickel and chromium ions from synthetic wastewater was investigated. The effects of various factors such as pH, retention time, hydrogel dosage, and initial metal concentration on the adsorption of Ni(II) and Cr(III) were examined. Adsorption performance was evaluated using isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics. The results showed that the adsorption process for both metals followed a pseudo-second-order model with good correlation coefficients. The Freundlich isotherm model was found to be a better fit for the adsorption process, suggesting that both physical and chemical processes were involved in the adsorption of Ni and Cr. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the adsorption process is spontaneous (negative ΔG) but endothermic (positive ΔH), indicating that heat energy is required for the adsorption process. Overall, the findings suggest that the poly AA-AAm hydrogel has excellent potential as an adsorbent for removing heavy metals from wastewater. The presence of heavy metals in wastewater is a significant environmental and health concern.

Application of Graphene Technology in the Removal of Heavy Metal Ions in Wastewater

Nowadays, heavy metal pollution has become a serious problem. Toxic heavy metal ions can result in extreme damage to the environment and human society. Under that situation, methods that can remove the heavy metal ions in water have been required. Graphene technology can be widely applied to the removal of heavy metal ions. This article will explain the preparation of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide and the efficiency and influence factors of the method applied in water treatment. The method can remove many kinds of mainly occurring toxic heavy metal ions with very high efficiency. Also, large-scale production of graphene oxide can be achieved. The removal of heavy metal ions in water by graphene technology can be a practical method in the water treatment field.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria-based bioelectrochemical system for heavy metal wastewater treatment: Mechanisms, operating factors, and future challenges

Heavy metal wastewater (HMW) has resulted in many adverse environmental issues. However, bioelectrochemical system (BES) has been recognized as an effective technology for HMW treatment. This technology generates electricity and removes heavy metals and high concentrations of sulfate. In the sulfate-reducing bacteria-based BES, sulfate-reducing bacteria can anaerobically reduce sulfate to produce sulfide, which reacts with heavy metal ions and forms their corresponding sulfide precipitates, or the heavy metals can be reduced by obtaining electrons at the anode or cathode of the BES. Therefore, this study comprehensively reviews the removal mechanisms of HMW at the anodes and cathodes of the BES. The effects of several key factors, such as electrode materials, biocathode, initial heavy metal concentration, external resistance, and pH, on electricity generation performance and removal efficiency were evaluated. Furthermore, the treatment effects of the microbial fuel cell-microbial electrolytic cell system and the coupled system of BES with plants, artificial wetlands, and electrolytic reactors on HMW and the recovery efficiencies of BES for sulfur and heavy (precious) metals were discussed. Therefore, this review provides a theoretical basis and technical support to broaden the prospects of BES application in HMW remediation.