Biosorption is considered one of the most promising methods for removal of metal ions from aqueous effluents, due to its low-cost and eco-friendly characteristics. However, the exhausted biosorbents loaded with metal ions, obtained at the end of biosorption processes, are still a problem which should be solved to increase the applicability of biosorption on an industrial scale. In this study are examined three possibilities for the valorisation of exhausted biosorbents loaded with metal ions, namely: (i) regeneration and reuse of biosorbents in multiple biosorption cycles, (ii) the use of exhausted biosorbents as fertilizers for soils poor in essential microelements, and (iii) the pyrolysis of exhausted biosorbents, under well defined conditions. The main advantages and disadvantages of each valorisation possibility are reviewed in order to find the best way to use these cheap materials in accordance with the principles of the circular economy and thereby contributing to the development of sustainable biosorption technology.

由于生物吸附的低成本和环保特性，因此被认为是从废水中去除金属离子的最有前途的方法之一。然而，在生物吸附过程结束时获得的用尽的负载有金属离子的生物吸附剂仍然是一个问题，应解决该问题以在工业规模上增加生物吸附的适用性。在这项研究中，研究了三种方法来评估用尽的金属离子负载的生物吸附剂的价值，即：（i）生物吸附剂在多个生物吸附循环中的再生和再利用；（ii）使用耗尽的生物吸附剂作为肥料，用于土壤中微量元素含量低的土壤； （iii）在明确规定的条件下热解耗尽的生物吸附剂。