Emerging adsorbents: Applications of sodium alginate/graphene oxide composite materials in wastewater treatment

In recent years, industrial wastewater, oil spills, and the use of large amounts of antibiotics have caused serious water pollution and shortages. Composite materials composed of sodium alginate (SA) and graphene oxide (GO) are receiving increasing attention in the field of pollutant treatment. The composite materials possess excellent mechanical properties that can support a loose and porous structure and have resolved the issue of traditional adsorbents being challenging to recycle and prone to secondary pollution. The comparison of the adsorption capacity of SA/GO composite materials as adsorbents for heavy metal ions (HMIs), antibiotics, dyes, and oil spills with other adsorbents was summarized in this article. At the same time, the adsorption mechanism of adsorbents for different pollutants was also introduced. In addition, the impact of factors such as initial dosage of adsorbent, initial concentration of pollutants, temperature, pH, and ion strength on the adsorption process has also been analyzed. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of SA/GO composite materials in wastewater treatment were pointed out.