# Cadmium toxicity, health risk and its remediation using low-cost biochar adsorbents

**Authors:** Lata Rani, Jyotsna Kaushal, Arun Lal Srivastav, Shahab Abdulla, Chander Prabha, Herat Joshi

PMC · DOI: 10.1515/biol-2025-1131 · 2025-08-11

## TL;DR

Cadmium is harmful even in small amounts and can be removed from water using low-cost biochar materials.

## Contribution

The paper reviews recent advances in using biochar, both pristine and modified, for cadmium removal.

## Key findings

- Cadmium is released into the environment through various industrial processes.
- Biochar is an effective and low-cost adsorbent for removing cadmium from water.
- Modified biochar shows improved performance in cadmium elimination.

## Abstract

Cadmium induces toxicity to both flora and fauna, even when it is present in trace amounts. Electroplating, pigments, smelting, mining, alloy production, plastic, cadmium–nickel batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, paint, synthesis of dye, textile operations, and refining sectors all release cadmium into the aquatic environment. “Solvent extraction, adsorption, ion exchange, and precipitation” are a few strategies for removing cadmium. Biochar is an inexpensive and sustainable adsorbent that has proven to be an efficacious adsorbent for the recovery of Cd(ii) from water. This study discusses the toxicity of cadmium as well as some recent developments of pristine biochar and modified biochar for the elimination of cadmium (Cd) from aqueous solution.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** Cadmium (PubChem CID 23973), Cd(ii) (PubChem CID 31193)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** toxicity (MESH:D064420)
- **Chemicals:** water (MESH:D014867), Cadmium (MESH:D002104), Cd(ii) (-), Biochar (MESH:C540010), nickel (MESH:D009532)

## Figures

7 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12355368/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12355368