ABSTRACT
Pollution of numerous natural resources is an unintended consequence of human progress and survival. Heavy metal (loid) contamination is widespread in both commercial and domestic effluents. Heavy metal toxins are resistant to biological degradation, making them a potential biohazard that must be removed using non-degradable, environmentally friendly methods. Successful in-situ remediation of polluted resources using biosorption of heavy metals has resulted in minimal toxic sludge production. For metal ion biosorption to be effective, both the metal ions and the biosorbents must be of high quality. The focus of this discussion will be on determining where these contaminants are coming from and how they are influencing ecosystems. This article provides a brief overview of heavy metal toxicity, the history of biosorption as a method for cleaning up heavy metal contamination, and the various biosorbents currently on the market.
