As the current global trend towards more stringent environmental standards, technical
applicability and cost-effectiveness became key factors in the selection of adsorbents for
water and wastewater treatment. Adsorption is by far the most versatile and widely used
method for the removal of pollutants due to its high removal capacity and ease of
operation at large scale. Recently, various low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural
waste, industrial by-products or natural materials, have been intensively investigated. In
this respect, the eggshells from egg-breaking operations constitute significant waste
disposal problems for the food industry, so the development of value-added by-products
from this waste is to be welcomed. The egg processing industry is very competitive, with
low profit margins due to global competition and cheap imports. Additionally, the costs
associated with the egg shell disposal (mainly on landfill sites) are significant, and
expected to continue increasing as landfill taxes increase. The aim of the present was to
provide an overview on the adsorption process both on simulated and real effluents onto
eggshell-derived adsorbent. This was accomplished by analyzing the uptake potential for
selected contaminants. Real wastewater effluents were studied to determine the
effectiveness of this low cost adsorbent. Results obtained shown that eggshell can
remove several pollutants from different types of aqueous systems, with great efficiency.