Amid rising industrial contamination of water resources globally, composite beads made from chitosan and alginate—natural biopolymers—are emerging as sustainable alternatives to conventional wastewater treatment technologies. In a latest review, researchers from Hasanuddin University, Indonesia, led by Dr. Heryanto Heryanto from Physics Department, comprehensively examined the recent advancements in structural design, thermodynamic behavior, and physiochemical properties of these biopolymer adsorbents. Their work was made available online on July 10, 2026, and will be published in Volume 35 of the journal Bioresource Technology Reports on September 1, 2026.
Wastewater from industrial, agricultural, and urban activities often contains harmful contaminants, such as heavy metals, synthetic dyes, and pharmaceutical residues, among other emerging pollutants. Adsorption technology has long been recognized as one of the most effective methods for wastewater remediation due to its high efficiency, ease of operation, and flexibility in handling various types of contaminants. Conventional adsorbents, such as commercial activated carbon (AC) and synthetic ion-exchange resins, however, are often costly, poorly biodegradable, and difficult to recover after treatment, driving the need for safer and more sustainable alternatives.
Biopolymer composites have emerged as a compelling alternative to conventional adsorbents. Among these, chitosan and alginate have gained particular attention as foundational matrices due to their intrinsic renewability and chemical versatility. "These biopolymer composites enable a sustainable approach for developing efficient wastewater treatment technologies," explains Dr. Heryanto. "They offer a cost-effective, easily recoverable, and reusable solution for sustainable water remediation methods."
Derived from renewable biological sources, chitosan and alginate provide an eco-friendly foundation for sustainable wastewater treatment. Composite beads made from a combination of these biopolymers are non-toxic and rich in functional groups that readily bind a wide range of pollutants. Their growing importance in this field is reflected in a systematic Scopus-based literature analysis conducted by the researchers, covering publications from 2018 to 2026. The analysis revealed a rapid increase in research on chitosan-based composite materials, with chitosan-alginate systems consistently emerging as one of the most extensively studied and versatile platforms for developing advanced adsorbents.
Notably, practical applications of pure biopolymer networks are often limited by low mechanical strength, poor chemical stability, and challenges associated with regeneration and repeated use. The review highlights how these limitations are being addressed through the development of hybrid composite beads. Incorporating functional additives—such as AC, graphene oxide (GO), and magnetite (Fe3O4)—effectively mitigates pure biopolymer constraints.
These functional additives increase active surface area, strengthen interactions with contaminants, improve mechanical and chemical stability, and introduce new functionalities such as magnetic separation. As a result, composite beads exhibit higher adsorption capacities, faster pollutant removal, improved selectivity, and more efficient recovery and regeneration compared with unmodified biopolymers.
Beyond technical performance, the review also highlights the sustainability advantages of these materials. Many composite beads are produced from renewable or biowaste-derived feedstocks, reducing production costs while maintaining performance over multiple regeneration cycles. These attributes make them attractive candidates for large-scale wastewater treatment applications. However, further advances in scalability, long-term stability, and regeneration efficiency are crucial for practical applications.
As discussed, advances in the design of these bio-composite beads help overcome multiple limitations associated with traditional adsorbents. This work also advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), by highlighting sustainable technologies for removing pollutants from wastewater. Using biodegradable, reusable materials for industrial application, the approach also supports SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Overall, the review emphasizes the importance of developing stimuli-responsive smart materials, improving regeneration efficiency, and strengthening techno-economic analyses to facilitate industrial adoption. "Beyond wastewater remediation, these beads can play an important role in the broader circular bioeconomy. These smart biopolymer composites could find applications in precision medicine, smart agriculture, and other environmentally sustainable technologies," concludes Dr. Heryanto.
Reference
Title of original paper: Trends in recent advances of chitosan and alginate-based composite beads for wastewater remediation
Journal: Bioresource Technology Reports
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102914
About Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Hasanuddin University (Universitas Hasanuddin or Unhas) is one of Indonesia's largest autonomous universities, located in Makassar. Established on September 10, 1956, and named after Sultan Hasanuddin of the Gowa Kingdom, the university has grown into a major center for higher education with 17 faculties, including medicine, engineering, law, agriculture, and natural sciences. Its origins date back to 1947 with an economics faculty linked to the University of Indonesia. Today, Unhas focuses on advancing science, technology, arts, and culture, with a strong emphasis on the Indonesian Maritime Continent, aiming to develop innovative and globally competitive graduates.
Learn more, here: https://www.unhas.ac.id/about/
About Dr. Heryanto Heryanto from Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Dr. Heryanto Heryanto is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Physics at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. His research expertise spans material physics, composite materials, nanomaterials, and computational materials science, integrating experimental characterization with computational approaches to understand and design advanced functional materials. He has more than 175 publications to his credit with close to 2,000 citations.
Funding information
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
