•  
  •  
 

Turkish Journal of Biology

Abstract

Background/aim: Wastewater from industrial, agricultural, and residential sources poses significant environmental and public health risks due to the presence of dyes, heavy metals, and organic pollutants. Conventional treatment methods are often inadequate for the complete removal of these pollutants. Therefore, the development of sustainable, environmentally friendly, and highly efficient treatment techniques has become increasingly important. The aim of this review is to evaluate the application of biological and green nanomaterials in wastewater treatment and to compare their effectiveness against different types of pollutants (dyes, heavy metals, and organics).

Materials and methods: This review provides detailed information on the removal of various pollutants from wastewater using green and biological nanomaterials, particularly based on articles published in recent years. The review examines the structures, synthesis methods, and application areas of biopolymers, metals, metal oxides, carbon-based, and polymer-structured nanomaterials synthesized using plant extracts and microorganism-supported systems. In addition, the integration of these nanomaterials with mechanisms such as adsorption, photocatalysis, bioseparation, and membrane filtration is discussed.

Results: Green and biological nanomaterials demonstrate high performance in the removal of various pollutants owing to their low toxicity, large surface area, and diverse functional groups. The synthesis of these nanomaterials using biological agents both reduces environmental impact and enhances their purification capacity. However, further research and innovation are required regarding scale-up, long-term stability, reusability, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusion: Biological and green nanomaterials represent promising alternatives for sustainable wastewater treatment. This review summarizes the current status of these materials and provides guidance for future research. Multidisciplinary approaches and expanded pilot-scale studies are essential to accelerate the transition toward industrial applications.

Author ORCID Identifier

EMİNE SENA KAZAN KAYA: 0000-0002-0487-1984

ZEYNEP CİĞEROĞLU: 0000-0001-5625-6222

TANSEL KEMERLİ KALBARAN: 0000-0003-2601-9968

BAŞAK TEMUR ERGAN: 0000-0002-0708-5102

ZEYNEP ŞENOL: 0000-0002-5250-1267

MERAL YILDIRIM YALÇIN: 0000-0002-5885-8849

DOI

10.55730/1300-0152.2760

Keywords

Wastewater treatment, biological nanomaterials, green nanomaterials, nanoadsorbents

First Page

441

Last Page

458

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Download

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

COinS