On the performance of perlite as a mineral adsorbent for heavy metals ions and dye removal from industrial wastewater: A review of the state of the art

Perlite, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, has been found to possess excellent adsorption properties, making it a promising material for the removal of pollutants such as heavy metals and dyes from industrial wastewater. In the current research, the performance and properties of perlite are studied as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions and dye from wastewater. Studies have shown that perlite-based adsorbents can achieve high removal efficiencies for pollutants, making it an attractive option for water treatment applications. Its low cost, abundance, and ease of preparation also make it a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to other adsorbents. It is concluded that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model had the best agreement with the empirical results. The thermodynamic results have shown that the adsorption of metal ions and dyes onto the perlite is spontaneous and exothermic. Modification of the perlite can significantly increase the performance of the perlite for adsorbing the metal ions and dyes. Desorption results have demonstrated that the perlite modification allows to use it for ten cycles.