Biomass-derived adsorbents: Universal database development for their synthesis and remediation efficiency as a necessary step to move from laboratory- to pilot-scale applications

Adsorption is an effective and attractive solution for (waste)water treatment, with the dedicated articles to be around 50,000 in 2023. Development of biomass-derived sorbents is assumed as a modern approach within the frame of circular (bio)economy. This opinion article underscores diverse preparation methods and applications of biomass-derived materials, highlighting the need for standardized protocols to enable comparability and activity evaluation across studies. Additionally, future challenges related to real-life implementation are discussed, such as incomplete material characterization, regeneration, disposal, and the need to move from laboratory-scale to industrial applications. Finally, establishing an international database for adsorption performance under fixed conditions, incorporating environmental and economic factors, is proposed as a crucial step for optimizing and standardizing biomass-derived adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment. � 2024 Elsevier B.V.