Cost-effectiveness of regenerated green materials for removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater
Gkika D.A. Tolkou A.K. Poulopoulos S.G. Kalavrouziotis I.K. Kyzas G.Z.
1 August 2025Elsevier Ltd
Waste Management
2025#204
Wastewater treatment plants offer valuable potential within the circular economy framework. Although pharmaceuticals can be removed through energy-, chemical-, and cost-intensive processes, there is a growing shift toward practical waste management and wastewater treatment innovations due to high waste production rates and the need for affordable adsorbents to lower treatment costs. Among various water purification techniques, adsorption system (adsorption, desorption, regeneration) stands out for being cost-effective, versatile, and easy to operate. This review examines how advancements in regenerable waste-derived adsorbents may influence both the economic and environmental aspects of wastewater treatment, while also shedding light on emerging trends in the field. This progress is shaped by a complex balance of factors, including efficiency, cost-effectiveness, environmental impact, and technological viability. Utilizing waste-derived adsorbents in water purification provides dual benefits environmental and economic by diverting waste from landfills and promoting its valorization, aligning with green chemistry principles. Integrating adsorption technologies within the framework of a circular economy can enable the recovery and reuse of valuable resources from wastewater, thereby reducing the environmental burden of water treatment processes. Numerous waste materials including fruit and agricultural byproducts, have shown pollutant removal efficiencies between 65% and 97%. Production costs are mostly between 1.49 €/kg and 3.70 €/kg. A key finding from the perspective of the circular economy is that significant economic value can be derived from using waste-derived adsorbents. Adsorbent reuse and regeneration align with circular economy principles. From this perspective, the combined approach of regeneration, desorption, and reuse of waste-derived adsorbents accelerates the objectives of circular economy.
Adsorption , Circular economy , Cost analysis , Regeneration , Reusability , Waste-derived adsorbents
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Hephaestus Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, GR, Kavala, 65404, Greece
Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece
Hephaestus Laboratory
Chemical and Materials Engineering Department
School of Science and Technology
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