Environmental Applications of Diatomite Minerals in Removing Heavy Metals from Water

Heavy metals released into the environment could accumulate in living organisms, thus causing various diseases and disorders. Diatomite, an eco-environmental functional material, has been proved to be a very promising and effective adsorbent in heavy metal-contaminated water treatment because of its high porosity, low density, high specific surface area, and surface silanol groups. This review (i) describes the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of diatomite; (ii) presents the capability of heavy metals adsorption onto diatomite-based functional materials; and (iii) discusses main adsorption mechanisms involved (ion-exchange, electrostatic interaction, chelation, and complexation) as well. Future studies about enhancing adsorption capacity and regeneration of diatomite-based functional materials are suggested.