A review of current practices on lead ions removal from different aqueous streams

Abstract

Toxic heavy metals like Lead are destructive to humans and the environment when existing above their threshold limits. Several conventional lead abatement methods are used in wastewater treatment plants to restore the ecology, food supply, and human and animal health. Many tactics are used to remove harmful Pb metals, like ion exchange, chemical precipitation, membrane filtration, and coagulation. These have a few principal approaches for removing metal ions from used water. Rapid developments in tailor-made materials science have proved to remove Lead metal using ion exchange resins, zeolite, polymeric membranes, and ionic liquids due to their low cost, surface accessibility, and unique benefits. This review paper has studied the detailed benefits and shortcomings of removing lead ions from wastewater using numerous materials, processes of production, possibly destructive properties on public health, and potential hybrid routes. In addition, this work observes the present advancements and developments in lead mitigation tools using different techniques for the past five years. Furthermore, this research review opens up to study of other materials' diverse applications in removal processes.