Perspectives and prospects of chelation extraction of heavy metals from wastewater: A review

Heavy metals' contamination of water resources is a global environmental issue due to their detrimental effects on human health. To safeguard humans and the environment, toxic heavy metals must be removed from contaminated water because they cannot be broken down. Diverse technologies are employed to reduce the levels of heavy metals in wastewater. However, these technologies suffer from being either costly or ineffective, particularly when the effluent has extremely low residual amounts. This review outlines the main accomplishments and promising future directions for solvent extraction as one of the potential methods of extracting heavy metals from water, utilizing literature reports. In addition to reviewing some of the commercial chelating reagents now in use, this article also discusses some of the obnoxious effects on human health that are associated with exposure to heavy metals. HIGHLIGHTS Water pollution by heavy metals is a global issue.; Some heavy metals are toxic to plants and human life.; Chelation extraction of heavy metals is a potential technology for remediation of heavy-metal polluted water.; Chelation extraction is potentially more efficient and selective.; With respect to green chemistry principles such as solvent-free technique, functionalization of mesoporous silica is a promising alternative.;