Cost-effective adsorbents

One of the gravest problems of this century is the scarcity of potable water available to the people of our world. Being a serious issue, researchers have been trying different methods of purifying wastewater and the groundwater. Adsorption is one of the most common methods that scientists have explored. However, the bigger challenge lies in selecting an adsorbent that not only carries out the purification process efficiently but also is economically efficient. In this chapter, the authors have discussed about various organic and inorganic adsorbents that have been or are being explored and aim to highlight the cost-effectiveness of carbon-based adsorbents over other ones. We have described the cases where different adsorbents were used for water purification purposes and have also included the advantages and disadvantages each adsorbent. We hope that the readers will get a comprehensive idea about adsorption-based water and wastewater treatment upon reading this chapter.