Industrial Wastewater Research Articles

Ecological restoration orientated application and modification of constructed wetland substrates.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) have gained recognition as an environmentally friendly and cost-efficient option for treating municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewater. They treat wastewater by harnessing the combined action of physical, chemical, and biological processes within substrates, plants, and microorganisms, with substrates exerting the greatest influence on the life cycle and purification efficiency of the system. This review provides an in-depth discussion on the development and performance of various substrate types used in CWs, including natural materials, ore-based materials, biomass materials, waste materials, and modified and novel materials. Key substrate modification techniques are summarized in detail, such as acid-base treatment, metal doping, compound modification, and heat treatment, which enhance structural and functional properties to improve pollutant removal. The paper also systematically explores the mechanisms of introducing methods like inorganic electronic enhancement and describes their applications in improving pollutant removal in CW systems. This review provides a holistic evaluation of substrate classification and optimization strategies and a prospective discussion of their challenges and opportunities in practical applications. It contributes to the creation of more efficient and sustainable materials for CW systems and provides theoretical support for selecting and optimizing substrates, thereby driving progress in wastewater treatment technology.

Adsorption of lead (II) in a single and multi-metal system by hydrochar from pulp and paper sludge

AbstractLead (II) is one of the most toxic heavy metals found in South African wastewater due to various mining activities. Hence, effective and cheaper methods are needed to treat this wastewater before it is released to the environment. The effectiveness of hydrochar, synthesised from pulp and paper sludge, as an adsorbent for lead (II) removal from synthetic wastewater was determined. The effect of adsorbent dosage, solution pH, lead (II) initial concentration and time on the adsorption of lead by the hydrochar was investigated. The hydrochar was synthesised at 180, 220 and 250 °C. The most favourable hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) temperature to synthesise pulp and paper sludge hydrochar for lead (II) adsorption was 180 °C based on the temperatures investigated. The hydrochar synthesised at 180 °C were modified with sodium hydroxide to improve its metal uptake. FTIR results showed that the NaOH modification increased the concentration of oxygen containing functional groups. Furthermore, the BET surface area of the hydrochar increased after modification. The hydrochar had a cellulose crystalline structure. The sodium hydroxide modification increased the maximum adsorption capacity from 24.72 to 37.32 mg.g−1. Moreover, the modified hydrochar synthesised at 180 °C (HC-180-NaOH) was effective in the adsorption of lead (II) in the presence of copper (II), cadmium (II) and zinc (II) where the affinity of the heavy metals towards the hydrochar was lead (II) > copper (II) > cadmium (II) ≈ zinc (II). Hence, the hydrochar, synthesised from waste material, is a potential adsorbent for the adsorption of lead (II) in industrial wastewater. Graphical abstract

A Case Study on Recycling Industrial Wastewater with Nanofiltration Membrane Separation Technology

As pressure on water resources intensifies and stringent regulations for groundwater and surface water are enacted, wastewater recycling has emerged as a key research objective for many enterprises. In this study, based on the actual wastewater discharged from Eternal Electronic (Suzhou, China) Co., Ltd., the performance differences in different membrane materials in treating this wastewater were analyzed and compared. The NF90 membrane was ultimately selected as the most suitable choice for treating this wastewater with optimal operating conditions of 150 psi, 25 °C, and 1 L/min, respectively. All the indices of wastewater treatment can satisfy the standard of circulating cooling water. In addition, this work is closely combined with the practical applications by using an HCl solution (pH = 3–4) to clean the fouled membranes, thus effectively solving the membrane fouling in the treatment process. This approach not only satisfies the environmental management requirements of enterprises but also provides valuable insights for similar wastewater treatment projects.

Regulating the surface chemistry of covalent organic frameworks for enhancement cationic dye removal and identification.

Simultaneous removal and identification of trace-level cationic dye pollutants from water is both important and challenging owing to their highly polar and complex sample matrices. In this study, three covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were synthesized using 2, 4, 6-triformylphloroglucinol with ethidium bromide (EB) containing positively charged groups, 3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid (DABA) containing negatively charged groups, and p-phenylenediamine (Pa) lacking charged groups. These were named EB-COFs, TpPa-1, and DP-COFs, respectively, and were employed as adsorbents for the extraction and identification of cationic dyes. The adsorption performance of the three COFs toward methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) was investigated. By incorporating carboxyl groups into DP-COFs, the surface chemistry of the adsorbent was effectively tailored, enabling complete exploitation of selective cationic sites. This facilitated dynamic interactions with cationic dyes through multiple adsorption mechanisms, including electrostatic, π-π, and H-bonding interactions. DP-COFs exhibited high adsorption capacities for MB and CV, achieving 383 and 326mgg-1, respectively. The adsorption behavior was further analyzed using adsorption isothermals, kinetics, and thermodynamics. Moreover, DP-COFs were employed as a matrix in laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOF MS) to adsorb and directly identify both cationic dyes without the need for an elution process. This approach demonstrated high sensitivity, high reproducibility, low background interference, and excellent salt tolerance. The limits of detection for MB and CV were 0.12 and 0.04ngmL-1, respectively, representing improvements of 166-fold and 225-fold compared with using DP-COFs solely as a matrix. Recovery rates of both dyes in spiked industrial wastewater and lake water samples ranged from 81.4 to111.1% with RSDs of 1.9-6.3%. These results highlight the high reliability of the proposed method.

Green and Eco-Friendly Egg White–TiO2 Hydrogel with Enhanced Antimicrobial, Adsorptive, and Photocatalytic Properties

The design of multi-purpose decontaminants with environmentally friendly characteristics, low cost, and high efficiency in removing pollutants from the environment is an effective and economic strategy for maintaining the long-term development of the ecosystem. Based on the strategy of killing two birds with one stone, an egg white (EW)/TiO2 hydrogel with a porous structure is devised as a bio-adsorbent using waste eggs nearing their expiration date for simultaneously achieving the efficient removal of organic dyes and the inactivation of microorganisms from industrial wastewater. The characterizations of its morphology and composition using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) theory, energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) validate the successful synthesis of EW/TiO2. The maximum adsorption capacity of EW/TiO2 is 333.172 mg∙mL−1 according to the Langmuir model. The photodegradation of a methyl blue (MB) solution under irradiation via a xenon lamp is used to assess the photocatalytic behavior of EW/TiO2. Among the different samples, the 5 wt% TiO2-doped EW/TiO2 hydrogel shows an efficiency of 99% for 120 min of irradiation. Finally, the antibacterial properties of the EW/TiO2 hydrogel are evaluated by calculating its bacterial survival rate against Escherichia coli (E. coli). The EW/TiO2 photocatalyst exhibits a photocatalytic inactivation efficiency of 90.4%, indicating that the EW/TiO2 hydrogel possesses positive antibacterial activity via effectively inhibiting the growth of the bacteria, which is suitable for industrial wastewater treatment over a long period of time.

Algal synthetic communities in industrial wastewater treatment: hurdles and opportunities

Algal synthetic communities in industrial wastewater treatment: hurdles and opportunities

Floating treatment wetland for decontamination of crystal violet dye from simulated industrial wastewater

The present study investigated the treatment of simulated industrial wastewater containing dye using a floating treatment wetland (FTW). This study used FTWs, vegetated with Potamogeton pusillus to remove crystal violet dye from synthetic industrial wastewater. The FTW pilot plant consists of three glass tanks (30*30*60) cm; each tank contains the Potamogeton pusillus plant with the same characteristics. The outcomes revealed that the maximum uptake of crystal violet dye was at a retention time of 72 hours, with a removal efficiency of 95.12 % at a pH of 5 and an initial dye concentration of 5mg/L. The minimum removal efficacy (68.42 %) of crystal violet dye was investigated at a pH of 9, initial dye concentration of 12mg/L, and retention time of 24 hr. The FTWs application successfully is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly approach for removing crystal violet dye from simulated industrial wastewater.

Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? The Impact of Digital Infrastructure Construction on Urban Ecological Welfare Performance—A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the “Broadband China” Strategy

Based on the panel data of 283 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2021, this paper takes the pilot policy of “Broadband China” as a natural experiment to evaluate the impact of digital infrastructure construction on urban ecological welfare performance and its mechanism by using a progressive difference–difference model. The results show that China’s digital infrastructure construction will significantly reduce the performance of urban ecological welfare. Through the analysis of input and output, it is found that the construction of digital infrastructure can significantly reduce resource consumption and increase welfare output, especially economic welfare, but at the level of environmental pollution, it will significantly increase the discharge of industrial wastewater, which may be the main reason for the negative effect of digital infrastructure construction. Through the group analysis, it is found that the overall negative impact of digital infrastructure construction on ecological welfare performance may be caused by the ecologically fragile western region and the unreasonable industrial structure. Through the adjustment model, it is found that innovation investment can positively regulate the negative impact of digital infrastructure on ecological welfare performance. The grey model (GM) is further used to forecast the data for 2022–2025, and it is found that while the negative impact of digital infrastructure is decreasing, it is still significant. This study provides empirical evidence for accurately understanding the effect and mechanism of digital infrastructure construction on ecological welfare performance.

The Characteristics of Methylsiloxane Distribution in the Marine Surface Sediment, Masan Bay, Korea, in August 2018 and Suggesting Directions for Further Studies

The present study determined the distribution of fifteen methylsiloxane compounds (total methylsiloxanes, TMSs), including four cyclic (CMSs) and eleven linear (LMSs), in the marine surface sediment of Masan Bay, Korea, in 2018. The levels ranged from 76.6 to 2320 (median 264 ± 680), 5.00 to 3570 (median 359 ± 1310), and 81.6 to 5890 (median 607 ± 1940) ng/g-dw., in ΣCMSs, ΣLMSs, and ΣTMSs, respectively. The CMSs: LMSs ratio was 34:66, and the most dominant compound was D5 (27%), followed by L11 (22%) and L12 (20%). Principal component and cluster analyses categorized the ten sampling points into four groups based on the point sources: Group A (MS1) representing the industrial wastewater from the Changwon National Industrial complex; Group B (MS2) representing the ship movements; and Groups C (MS3, MS5, MS6, and MS7) and D (MS4, MS8, MS9, and MS10) representing the organic carbons. The present study hypothesized that the missing link between the methylsiloxane levels in 2013 and 2021 was due to the considerable industry recession in the bay. This was verified by positive correlations between the median ΣCMSs and the monthly production, the median ΣLMSs and ΣTMSs and the monthly employment in the complex. However, the hypothesis should be supplemented with the following perspectives: (1) selecting the sampling areas representing only the industrial wastewater, (2) considering the seasonal fluctuations, (3) estimating half-lives, and (4) investigating time series. This study is the first to link methylsiloxane levels and social issues in the bay, providing insights into illuminating the distribution characteristics of various pollutants.

Two-stage efficiency evaluation of industrial water resources and the role of digital inclusive finance: insight from Yangtze River Delta

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) occupies 2.1% of China's territory but accounts for 1/4 of its GDP. Boosting efficiency of industrial water resources in YRD will drastically decrease water pollution and resource constraints. The current paper employed Network Super-SBM and the Global Malmquist-Luenberger index to evaluate industrial water use efficiency and wastewater treatment efficiency of YRD’ cities. Furthermore, digital inclusive finance and green innovation are introduced to investigate the mechanisms underlying their influence on the overall industrial water resources efficiency. The empirical findings posts that: (1) there is still room to improve the overall efficiency, especially the water treatment efficiency; (2) the MI value of each stages in most samples is greater than 1, indicating that the water treatment efficiency and water use efficiency are improving. It is mainly driven by the improvement of the efficiency of the management; (3) there are substantial differences in water resource efficiency among metropolitan areas, with Nanjing-metropolitan areas and Hefei-metropolitan areas having higher water use efficiency and water treatment efficiency for both stages, while Hangzhou-metropolitan areas and Shanghai-metropolitan areas have lower water treatment efficiency. As shown by the Kernel density Estimation, the degree of efficiency dispersion within same metropolitan area is reducing; and (4) digital inclusive finance will boost overall efficiency and water treatment efficiency, with green innovation as a mediating factor. The findings herein offer compelling evidence that financial development increases the effectiveness of water resources, introduce fresh perspectives for the government to put forward water-related policies, and provide ideas for high-quality economy.

Morphological and physiological responses of Momordica charantia to heavy metals and nutrient toxicity in contaminated water

This study investigates the impact of industrial wastewater from leather, household, and marble sources on the growth, physiological traits, and biochemical responses of Momordica charantia (bitter melon). Industrial activities often lead to the release of contaminated effluents, which can significantly affect plant health and agricultural productivity. Water analysis revealed that leather effluent contained high concentrations of heavy metals, including cadmium (2.67 mg/L), lead (1.95 mg/L), and nickel (1.02 mg/L), all of which exceeded the recommended safety limits for irrigation. Seed germination was significantly reduced, with only 45% germination in seeds irrigated with leather effluent, compared to 90% in the control group. Similarly, in plants treated with leather wastewater, shoot length, and root length were reduced by 38% and 42%. Chlorophyll content showed a marked decline, with chlorophyll “a” reduced by 25% and chlorophyll “b” by 30% in wastewater-treated plants, indicating impaired photosynthetic activity. Antioxidant enzyme activity, including catalase and superoxide dismutase, increased by up to 40%, reflecting a stress response to heavy metal toxicity. These findings highlight that industrial wastewater severely disrupts plant metabolic processes, leading to stunted growth and physiological stress. To safeguard crop productivity and food security, stringent wastewater treatment protocols must be implemented to mitigate environmental contamination. Future research should focus on developing advanced remediation techniques and sustainable wastewater management practices to reduce heavy metal toxicity and enhance soil health.

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with enterobacter asburiae

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution has been found to be toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunotoxicogenic. Naphthalene, Anthracene, and Fluorene are among the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are frequently detected in wastewater from biomass gasification and refineries. In this study, industrial waste water samples were collected from three sites located in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt and showed presence of PAHs in different concentration varying from 0.42 to 253.1 ppb. This study's findings included the isolation and identification of Enterobacter asburiae the most proficient bacterial isolate capable of biodegrading PAHs among other 7 studied bacterial isolates. Enterobacter asburiae strain No. 1 showed the ability to biologically degrade approximately 79 %, 89.7 % and 82.8 % of Naphthalene, Fluorene and Anthracene active ingredients respectively. The results of toxicity assessment showed that PAHs byproducts after 14 days of incubation had no toxicity; consequently, there was no antibacterial activity detected against B. subtilis as a test organism. Such biological approaches used in this study can be further applied in various polluted sites to get rid of ubiquitous organic pollutants.

Utilization of Bottom Ash from Biomass Combustion in a Thermal Power Plant to Remove Cadmium from the Aqueous Matrix.

This study provides a cost-effective method for using bottom ash from biomass combustion, which would otherwise constitute waste, to remove cadmium from acidic industrial wastewater. The X-ray powder diffraction method was used to identify the crystal forms, i.e., the arrangement of atoms in the crystal lattice, and to determine the composition of bottom ash, and the X-ray fluorescence method was used to obtain information on the elemental composition of bottom ash. The Fourier Transform Infrared method was used to analyse and identify the different functional groups occurring in bottom ash. Scanning Electron Microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray was used to obtain detailed information on the bottom ash surface. The effect of various factors on Cd removal was studied, and optimal experimental conditions were found. The kinetic and thermodynamic equations showed that the removal of Cd2+ using bottom ash from biomass combustion was a single-layer chemical adsorption meeting the requirements of pseudo-second-order kinetics. The limiting parameter for the effective adsorption of Cd2+ using bottom ash from biomass combustion is its alkaline nature. It can only be used for solutions with pH < 2, which, on the other hand, is its advantage in practical application, namely, in the final treatment of acidic industrial wastewater.

Investigating the treatability of prepared food industry wastewater using the chemical process of coagulation and flocculation

Investigating the treatability of prepared food industry wastewater using the chemical process of coagulation and flocculation

Mitigating the challenges of textile wastewater treatment in Saudi Arabia utilizing electrocoagulation process: Optimization of operating parameters

The increasing importance of treating industrial effluents for environmental and public health protection has necessitated reliable and economical treatment methods capable of meeting stringent effluent quality standards. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the electrocoagulation (EC) process using iron electrodes for treating real textile wastewater by removing total solids (TS), COD, colour, and turbidity. Various operating parameters, including treatment time, initial pH, current density, stirring speed, and inter-electrode spacing (IES), were investigated to optimize removal efficiency. The results demonstrated that the optimal conditions for maximum pollutant removal were achieved at a treatment time of 60 minutes, a current density of 6.2 mA/cm², a solution pH of 8-8.5, a stirring speed of 150 rpm, and an IES of 5 cm. Under these conditions, the removal efficiencies reached 79.2% for TS, 92.7% for COD, 88.9% for turbidity, and 98.7% for colour. The findings of this research indicate that the EC process is a simple, quick, and economically viable method for effectively removing pollutants from textile wastewater. Additionally, it is recommended that a coupled treatment unit, such as filtration or adsorption, be employed following the EC process to enhance pollutant removal. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to address environmental pollution from industrial wastewater, including textile wastewater, highlighting the importance of balancing industrial growth with environmental stewardship. Present study offers the first thorough analysis of textile wastewater treatment utilizing EC process in the region, enhancing understanding of effective strategies for sustainability and compliance with effluent quality standards.

Comparing Several Orifice Flange Shapes for Hydrodynamic Cavitation Treatment and COD Reduction in Textile Wastewater

Textile industry wastewater contains potentially harmful metals, such as nickel and copper, and has a high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). This study investigated the use of hydrodynamic cavitation to reduce COD and color levels in textile wastewater using various orifice plate designs, including 1-star, 1-circular hole, 5-star, and 5-circular hole patterns, combined with two orifice plates in succession. The results showed that the 1- and 5-circular hole arrangements led to significant reductions in COD (78% for 5-circular hole and 65% for 1-circular hole) and color (27% for 5-circular hole and 25% for 1-circular hole). The 1-star pattern design reduced COD by up to 79% and color by 33%, whereas the 5-star pattern design reduced COD by up to 60% and color by 20%. The study concluded that the most effective orifice plate for eliminating COD from textile wastewater is a combination of an 1-star pattern and a 5-circular pattern design. These findings demonstrate the potential of hydrodynamic cavitation as an effective method for reducing harmful pollutants in textile industry effluents.

Phosphoric acid-modified bentonite-chitosan composite beads: a novel and cost-effective adsorbent for multi-metal wastewater treatment.

This study introduces a novel, cost-effective adsorbent made from phosphoric acid-modified bentonite-chitosan composite beads, designed to remove Cu2⁺, Ni2⁺, and Zn2⁺ from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the composite revealed a mesoporous structure and the presence of functional groups that enhance its adsorption properties. Using response surface methodology, the adsorption capacities were determined as 362.24mg/g for Cu2⁺, 279.51mg/g for Ni2⁺, and 210.54mg/g for Zn2⁺ under optimal conditions. A pH study further improved the adsorption capacities to 381.29mg/g for Cu2⁺, 305.98mg/g for Ni2⁺, and 225.04mg/g for Zn2⁺. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting that the adsorption occurred on a single layer of the adsorbent surface via chemical bonds. In competitive adsorption scenarios, Cu2⁺ was removed more efficiently than Zn2⁺ and Ni2⁺. The removal efficiencies achieved were 88.59% for Cu2⁺, 72.30% for Ni2⁺, and 62.07% for Zn2⁺ using 1g/l adsorbent within 30min for treating industrial effluent. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorbent maintained good performance over 10 regeneration cycles, demonstrating its reusability. The primary adsorption mechanisms include electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, and ion exchange. The developed adsorbent proved to be an efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solution for removing heavy metals from wastewater. This cost-effective material can be readily implemented in industrial wastewater treatment plants to tackle heavy metal contamination.

Z-type heterojunction construction and photocatalytic performance of O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9 composites for the effective degradation of tetracycline

The antibiotic tetracycline (TCH) is a common pollutant seen in industrial wastewaters and municipal wastewaters, which poses an environmental problem. To solve this, oxygen modified carbon nitride (O-C3N4) and a Z-type heterojunction O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9 with excellent photocatalytic performance was constructed. The degradation efficiency of O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9-60 % for TCH (10 mg/L) was as high as 89.9 % under 3 h of illumination. The corresponding degradation rate was 1.9 and 3.1 times higher than that of O-C3N4 and Bi2Mo2O9, respectively, due to the effective carrier separation and the increased specific surface area. The Z-type heterojunction construction of the O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9-60 % composite and corresponding TCH degradation mechanism were further assessed through exploring the electron transfer, active radical and reaction paths. Furthermore, the O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9-60 % composite exhibited a high cyclic stability, and its degradation efficiency remained at 87.5 % after 5 cycles. The O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9-60 % composite also had excellent adaptability to the actual aqueous environment, and the degradation efficiency for TCH in different actual aqueous environments remained above 70 %. All results indicated that O-C3N4/Bi2Mo2O9 composites have significant visible photocatalytic performance and can be used for the practical removal of TCH pollutants.

Preparing Sustainable Membranes Made From Zeolite–Smectite for Treating Textile Wastewater and Pulp Industry Wastewater

AbstractLow‐cost separation techniques are crucial for treating wastewater. Developing inexpensive membranes made from natural materials has become a popular research area in recent years. Tubular membranes were produced by adding 10% organic additives to a mixture of 80% zeolite and 10% smectite. New composite ceramic membranes from zeolite and smectite were prepared using the extrusion method to create a plastic paste and characterized using XRD, SEM, EPMA, and FTIR. The impact of sintering temperature (Tsint, 850–950 °C) on membrane properties, such as microstructure, mechanical strength (MS), water permeability, and filtration performance, was investigated. The MS and shrinkage rate increased with Tsint. At 950 °C, the resulting composite membrane exhibited a high MS of over 65 MPa, a relatively low porosity of 30%, appropriate for membrane filtration, and a water permeability of 65 L·h⁻¹·m⁻2·bar⁻¹. When applied to remove pollutants from wastewater, this membrane demonstrated a high color retention of 98.4% from an aqueous Evans blue‐colored solution (Effluent 1). For extensive application to wastewater treatment, this membrane showed a high‐efficiency level for treating real effluent produced by the pulp industry, removing 62.4% of chemical oxygen demand, 36% of hardness, and 82% of color. Finally, an ultrasonic cleaning procedure allowed the restoration of 70% of the initial permeability after four cycles for both effluents. Thanks to the exciting properties offered by these membranes and their competitive cost of less than $ 20·m−2, these membranes are appropriate for treating industrial wastewater.

Egyptian seaweed resources from the South Sinai coast to develop alginate-based biohybrid composites for enhanced lead(II) removal from industrial wastewater

Herein, crosslinked-alginate (CAL) was extracted from Egyptian marine biowaste (brown seaweed discarded near seashore of Ras Sedr, Sinai). Novel biohybrid composites were fabricated by hybridizing CAL chains with either carbohydrate polymer (starch, St) or proteinaceous content (albumin, Alb). Physicochemical properties of such biocomposites were characterized using XRD, FTIR, Raman, DLS, SEM and AFM analyses. Compared to CAL, starch as hybridizing agent enthuses existence of stacking-oriented alginate chains of higher amorphicity and lower zeta-potential (-17 mV). Hybridization of alginate matrix with albumin chains yielded high negatively charged (-37.8mV) crystalline biocomposite with smooth surfaces. Performance of St-CAL and Alb-CAL biocomposites toward Pb2+ removal from wastewater was scrutinized. The impact of pH, adsorbate concentration, contact time, and thermodynamic studies on Pb2+ removal using these biocomposites were estimated. Removal efficiency of St-CAL was superior to that of Alb-CAL yielding ~ 70% for 5 succussive runs. Pb2+ adsorption process over St-CAL was spontaneous with exothermic nature at room temperature and followed Freundlich model with pronounced adsorption energy and capacity. Fitness of kinetic models for St-CAL was ranked as pseudo-first-order with escalated intra-particle diffusion rates. Construction of oxygen-rich hybrid carbohydrate systems is willingly applied in future as green cleaner to wastewater from heavy metal ions.