Removal of Heavy Metals from Industrial Wastewaters: A Review

Abstract Heavy metals like arsenic, copper, cadmium, chromium, nickel, zinc, lead, and mercury are major pollutants of fresh water reservoirs because of their toxic, non‐biodegradable, and persistent nature. The industrial growth is the major source of heavy metals introducing such pollutants into different segments of the environment including air, water, soil, and biosphere. Heavy metals are easily absorbed by fishes and vegetables due to their high solubility in the aquatic environments. Hence, they may accumulate in the human body by means of the food chain. Various methods have been developed and used for water and wastewater treatment to decrease heavy metal concentrations. These technologies include membrane filtration, ion‐exchange, adsorption, chemical precipitation, nanotechnology treatments, electrochemical and advanced oxidation processes. In this review, the methods as well as their mechanisms and efficiency are discussed.