A review of the use of red mud as adsorbent for the removal of toxic pollutants from water and wastewater

Abstract

Red mud (an aluminium industry waste) has received wide attention as an effective adsorbent for water pollution control, showing significant adsorption potential for the removal of various aquatic pollutants. In this review, an extensive list of red-mud-based adsorbents has been compiled and their adsorption capacities (maximum uptake value of the adsorbent for the pollutant or adsorbate being removed) for various aquatic pollutants (metal ions, dyes, phenolic compounds, inorganic anions) are presented. The review provides a summary of recent information obtained using batch studies and deals with the adsorption mechanisms involved. It is evident from the literature survey that red mud has been found to be efficient for the removal of various aquatic pollutants, especially arsenic and phosphate. However, there is still a need to investigate the practical utility of these adsorbents on a commercial scale.

Possibilities of Exploitation of Bauxite Residue from Alumina Production

“…It is evident from the studied literature (Kurdowski & Sorrentino, 1997;Andrejcak & Soucy, 2004;Liu, Y. et al, 2011;Paramguru et al, 2005;Bhatnagar et al, 2011;Klauber et al, 2009) Table 3. Overview of BR application areas from the alumina production.…”

Synthesis characterization and sorption properties of a sorbent synthesized using slag and red mud: Arsenic removal from spiked aqueous solutions

“…Both metallurgical slag and red mud are common metallurgical wastes. Some researchers have proposed a number of applications in order to recycle them, such as environmental remediation, metal recovery, and production of various materials including building materials, polymers and ceramics (Amorim et al, 2012;Bhatnagara et al, 2011;Costa et al, 2010;Liu et al, 2009;Liu and Zhang, 2011;Paramguru et al, 2005;Pontikes and Angelopoulos, 2013). The advantage of the procedure proposed in this study is quite obvious since it combines recycling with the synthesis of a high added value material, efficient for environmental remediation, contributing in that way to sustainable development.…”

Evaluation of Toxicity for Commercial Red Mud Pellets Using Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Daphnia magna

“…RM is a high-pH alkaline substance (Bhatnagar et al 2011). From this study, the changes in pH with the concentration of RM were observed for 12 hours.…”

“…However, due to its high alkalinity, RM has high pH levels ranging between 10 and 13. Moreover, RM contains high proportions of aluminum, iron, silicon, titanium oxides, and hydroxides, thus RM could be toxic to the environment (Bhatnagar et al 2011). Bioassay tests have been widely used for evaluating toxicity in a variety of aquatic organisms.…”