Adsorption is a unit operation widely used for the tertiary treatment of the most diverse effluents, whose mechanism is based on removing recalcitrant compounds from the organic and inorganic origin. In this process, choosing a suitable adsorbent is a fundamental point. This review article focuses on the adsorbents with natural geological origin: minerals, clays, geopolymers, and even wastes resulted from mining activity. Therefore, over 450 articles and research papers were explored. These materials' main sources are described, and their characteristics, composition, and intrinsic properties are related to adsorption. Herein, we discuss the effects of several process parameters, such as pH, temperature, pollutant, and adsorbent concentration. Furthermore, equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamic aspects are also addressed, and relevant regeneration prospects and final disposal. Finally, some suggestions and perspectives on applying these adsorbents in wastewater treatment are presented as future trends.

吸附是一种单元操作，广泛用于最多样化的废水的三级处理，其机制基于从有机和无机来源中去除顽固化合物。在这个过程中，选择合适的吸附剂是一个基本点。这篇综述文章的重点是具有天然地质来源的吸附剂：矿物、粘土、地质聚合物，甚至是采矿活动产生的废物。因此，探索了 450 多篇文章和研究论文。描述了这些材料的主要来源，它们的特性、组成和内在特性与吸附有关。在此，我们讨论了几个工艺参数的影响，例如 pH 值、温度、污染物和吸附剂浓度。此外，还解决了平衡、动力学和热力学方面的问题，以及相关的再生前景和最终处置。最后，提出了将这些吸附剂应用于废水处理的一些建议和观点，作为未来的发展趋势。