LAUSR

Abstract In the quest for environmental protection and sustainability, researchers have evaluated a variety of biomaterials for the remediation of polluted effluents. In this mini-review, the recent advances in biosorption of pollutants from aqueous solutions using fish scales was discussed. It was conducted to catalogue research progress, gain an understanding of the current research trend, isolate possible knowledge gaps, and elucidate potential future perspectives in the research area. Four (4) key stages are involved in the preparation methodology of biosorbents from fish scales: washing, drying, grinding, and sieving. Biosorbent from fish scales usually possess heterogeneous surfaces (and sometimes ridges). It was observed that about 65% of research studies have focused on heavy metals removal. Fish scale biosorption equilibrium was usually best fit to Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms and the biosorption kinetics was according to the pseudo-second-order model in most cases. Fish scale biosorption for metals was observed to be always spontaneous process. The current research trend in the area is on methods to improve the biosorbent via derivation of hydroxyapatite scaffolds, chemical impregnation, and other functionalization techniques.