A general review on the use of advance oxidation and adsorption processes for the removal of furfural from industrial effluents

Furfural contamination of water is a serious problem in the world. The review article highlights on furfural ecotoxicology and the associated molecular mechanisms involved in its toxicity, efficacy of novel adsorbents for the removal of furfural from polluted water, adsorption capacities of adsorbents under different conditions, such as surface area, concentration, adsorption capacity, pH, time, temperature, applicable isotherm models, characterization and percentage removal of furfural. It was showed from the review that CTAB-bentonite is the best adsorbents for the removal of furfural (qmax = 538 mg/g) from aqueous media.A wide range of values for the thermodynamic parameters (both negative and positive) were reported for furfural across different studies. Furfural uptake best-fit both for the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models as well as a pseudo second order kinetic model. Additionally, the review also highlighted the molecular modelling and simulations of furfural adsorptions and detail about its future prospects. Among the different treatment options, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are likely promising for efficient degradation of furfural in water and wastewater.