Application and Development of Bioadsorption Technology for Heavy Metals in Biomass Composting

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Biomass composting is a fundamental method for recovering resources from organic waste. However, the accumulation of heavy metals in its raw materials has turned into a crucial bottleneck that impedes the safe application of products. Bioadsorption technology, which is environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and highly efficient, has come to be a key approach to deal with heavy metal contamination in compost. This paper comprehensively examines the sources and migration risks of heavy metals in biomass compost, analyzes the mechanisms of bioadsorption, types of adsorbents, and the regulatory effects of compost environmental factors. It also summarizes the practical applications and cost-benefit analyses of different adsorbents, points out existing technical bottlenecks such as the limited reusability of adsorbents and the unstable adsorption efficiency in complex compost systems, and puts forward optimization directions and future trends. In particular, integrating bioadsorbents with functional microbial agents is anticipated to boost the efficiency of heavy metal immobilization, and developing scalable adsorbent regeneration technologies will enhance the economic feasibility of large-scale composting. The findings are intended to offer theoretical support and practical references for the governance and safe application of heavy metal pollution in compost.