Waste tea as a novel adsorbent: a review

Abstract

Abstract This paper surveys the various developments in the usage of tea beverage industry-based wastes for adsorption and the generation of activated carbon while emphasizing the applied methodology, removal efficiencies, characteristics of the material and the production methods. From the review, it can be determined that the tea industry-based wastes offer a promising, low-cost and effective alternative adsorbent for the removal of various effluents from the water. The full review is about the usage of waste tea as an adsorbent has been done while considering two aspects. Firstly, initial emphasis was placed on reviewing the research work on the removal of various heavy metal ions and pollutants such as copper, chromium, lead, reactive dyes and phenols using tea leaves as an adsorbent. Secondly, research work on the various activation methods and conditions, and the usage of physical and chemical activating agents such as steam, carbon dioxide, phosphoric acid, zinc chloride and potassium salts for the activation of tea leave-based activated carbon have been reviewed and presented here.

Keywords

• Activated carbon
• Adsorption
• Bio-adsorbents
• Wastewater treatment
• Waste tea leaves