Biomass-Derived Materials and Nanomaterials for Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment

The increasing contamination of water resources by heavy metals and other pollutants has emerged as a major global environmental challenge. Simultaneously, the generation of large quantities of biomass waste from agricultural, forestry, and industrial activities presents both environmental concerns and opportunities for sustainable resource utilization. Recent advances in biomass waste valorization have enabled the development of innovative nanomaterials, including nano-biochar, carbon-based nanomaterials, metal oxide nanoparticles, and nanocomposites, with significant potential for water purification and environmental remediation.Heavy metal contamination of aquatic environments remains a major environmental challenge due to the persistence, toxicity, and potential bioaccumulation of metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and nickel. Conventional treatment technologies can be limited by high operational costs, energy requirements, secondary waste generation, and reduced effectiveness under complex environmental conditions. At the same time, large quantities of biomass residues remain underutilized or are disposed of through environmentally unsustainable practices. This Research Topic aims to bridge these challenges by advancing the conversion of biomass waste into value-added nanomaterials for water decontamination and heavy metal remediation. It seeks to highlight innovative synthesis and functionalization strategies, elucidate contaminant-removal mechanisms, and assess material performance under environmentally relevant conditions. Particular emphasis will be placed on scalable, low-cost, and environmentally responsible approaches, including regeneration, life-cycle considerations, toxicity and safety assessment, and pathways toward practical implementation of biomass-derived nanomaterials within a circular economy framework.This Research Topic welcomes interdisciplinary contributions addressing the sustainable conversion of biomass waste into nanomaterials for water purification and heavy metal remediation. Themes of interest include:- Biomass-derived materials and nanomaterials for water and wastewater treatment, including nano-biochar, nanocellulose, carbon nanomaterials, and nanocomposites;- Treatment of heavy metals and co-occurring contaminants in real water and wastewater systems;- Adsorption, ion exchange, reduction, precipitation, and catalytic removal mechanisms;- Contaminant removal mechanisms and structure-performance relationships;- Treatment of multi-contaminant systems under realistic operating conditions;- Regeneration, reuse, and long-term stability;- Integration into continuous-flow water and wastewater treatment systems;- Process optimization, modeling, and performance prediction;- Scale-up, pilot-scale studies, and techno-economic assessment;- Environmental fate, safety, and risk assessment;- Life-cycle assessment and circular economy approaches.We welcome Original Research, Review, Systematic Review, Mini Review, Perspective, and Methods articles, particularly studies demonstrating mechanistic understanding, environmental relevance, sustainability, and potential for practical application. Topic editors: Garima Awasthi, Sudhakar Srivastava, Mahipal Singh Sankhla, Muhammad Faheem Adil Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84758/biomass-derived-materials-and-nanomaterials-for-sustainable-water-and-wastewater-treatment