Adsorption of humic and fulvic acids onto a range of adsorbents in aqueous systems, and their effect on the adsorption of other species: A review

Humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) are the prime components of natural organic matter (NOM) and can cause several problems in potable water such as odor, taste, and color. They can also produce hazardous disinfectant by-products (DBPs), especially on water chlorination, and can reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquatic environment. Therefore, removal of NOM from water systems is highly desirable. This review discusses the results found for adsorption of HA and FA on a wide range of adsorbents such as carbonaceous materials, nanosized metal (oxy-hydro) oxides, low-cost agricultural materials, clays, zeolites, biopolymers, composites and miscellaneous adsorbents. Studies investigating the effect of adsorbed humic material on the adsorption of other aqueous species are also presented. The adsorbents…