Recent advances in adsorption and advanced oxidation processes for industrial wastewater treatment: Toward integrated and sustainable approaches

The rapid growth of industrial activities has resulted in the generation of large volumes of wastewater containing complex mixtures of inorganic and organic pollutants, including heavy metals, dyes, nutrients, and persistent organic compounds. When inadequately treated, these effluents pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Among the available treatment methods, adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as effective and complementary approaches. Adsorption offers a cost-effective and selective removal of contaminants, whereas AOPs rely on the generation of highly reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals, to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants. This review presents recent advances in adsorption, AOPs, and their hybrid integration for industrial wastewater treatment. Particular attention is given to the synergistic effects of combined systems, which enhance removal efficiency while potentially reducing energy and chemical consumption. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these integrated approaches are critically discussed to support the development of sustainable water treatment strategies.