Quality Standards for Recycled Water: Opuntia ficus-indica as Sorbent Material

Abstract

In recent years, increased industrial and agricultural activities and the correlated population growth led to overexploitation of natural resources and the increased generation of various types of pollutants. For these reasons, the hazardous pollution of wastewater is one of the most important environmental problems worldwide. A wide range of wastewater treatment technologies are available; however, some disadvantages are often reported. Hence, there is a constant need to search for an efficient, low-cost and alternative wastewater treatment. Recently, several biosolids have been considered for pollutant removal from wastewaters, including Opuntia ficus-indica. This chapter focuses on wastewater treatment strategies involving material parts in sewage containing high levels of chemical oxygen demand and turbidity, heavy metals and pesticides.