Heavy metals pollution of aqueous solutions generates considerable concerns as they adversely impact the environment and health of humans. Among the remediation technologies, adsorption with metal sulfide nanomaterials has proven to be a promising strategy due to their cost-effective, environmentally friendly, surface modulational, and amenable properties. Their excellent adsorption characteristics are attributed to the inherently exposed sulfur atoms that interact with heavy metals through various processes. This work presents a comprehensive overview of the sequestration of heavy metals from water using metal sulfide nanomaterials. The common methods of synthesis, the structures, and the supports for metal sulfide nano-adsorbents are accentuated. The adsorption mechanisms and governing conditions and parameters are stressed. Practical heavy metal remediation application in aqueous media using metal sulfide nanomaterials is highlighted, and the existing research gaps are underscored.

An integrated membrane bioreactor (MBR) with synthetic RO membrane cleaning wastewater from a thermal power plant was used to study the long-term operating characteristics, membrane fouling, and cleaning of membrane fouling. The results show that the MBR had a great removal effect on mainly an organic pollutant (citric acid) with an average of 98.4% rejection, and the concentration of organics in the effluent also achieved “Discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plant” (GB12/599-2015). The optimal operating conditions were as follows: the membrane flux was 8 L/(m²·h); the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 4 h; the sludge retention time (SRT) was 15 d, and the pH value was 6~7. A membrane fouling analysis showed that the resistance of the cake layer and the concentration polarization were the main components of membrane fouling. When the specific flux (SF) decreased to 10 L/(h·m² mH₂O), the membrane module was cleaned by tap water and then soaked in 0.05 wt% hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 3000 mg/L sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 1 h and 3 h, respectively. Finally, the membrane flux could be recovered to 84.9% compared to the new membrane.