Sustainable remediation: advances in red mud-based synergistic fabrication techniques and mechanistic insights for enhanced heavy metal(loid)s sorption in wastewater

Rapid growth in the alumina industry generates vast amounts of highly alkaline red mud (RM), posing significant environmental risks. However, RM shows great promise as a re-source for environmental remediation, particularly through its conversion into effective adsorbents. This research reviews recent advancements in developing RM-based adsor-bents for sustainable wastewater treatment, especially targeting heavy metal(loid)s (HMs). We examine key modification mechanisms to enhance RM’s properties, summa-rize synthesis methods for various RM- based adsorbents, and evaluate their performance in removing HMs from water, guiding the design of subsequent new materials. Crucially, this review highlights studies on adsorbent reusability, HM leaching, and economic fea-sibility to address economic and safety concerns. Finally, we discuss adsorption mecha-nisms and prospects for these materials.