In this study, longan shell was used as an environmental
friendly sorbent of the metal ions for the first time in order to
satisfactorily remove toxic heavy-metal ions from the aqueous
solution by making full use of daily waste with very low cost.
Longan, as a kind of tropical fruit belonging to the soapberry
family (Sapindaceae), is native to Southern Asia and has been
introduced into other warm regions of the world. Regrettably,
many longan shells are wasted without any reasonable utilization
every year. Longan shell includes plenty of cellulose, lignin,
and a few flavonoids, which favorably endow longan shell with
excellent ability to strongly and efficiently remove the heavymetal
ions from their aqueous solutions.