This research investigates the potential of utilizing vine shoots, a byproduct of the viticulture industry, as biosorbent for cadmium removal from aqueous solutions. The Spanish wine industry, one of the most influential sectors, produces two to three million tons of vine shoots. By using vine shoots as biosorbent, this study contributes to the circular economy paradigm, transforming waste materials into valuable resources and minimizing environmental impacts associated with waste generation and disposal. The research underscores the significance of vine shoots in biosorption due to its high lignocellulosic content. By experimental analysis, the efficacy of vine shoots in cadmium biosorption is evaluated, considering factors such as environmental impact or energy consumption. This study examines the effect of six key input parameters on cadmium removal efficiency and power consumption, identifying optimal conditions for maximum removal with minimal energy consumption. The findings suggest that vine shoots offer promising biosorption capabilities, promoting sustainability in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation efforts. By employing the response surface method alongside desirability functions, the study determined the optimal variables for two distinct optimization scenarios. Notably, in the second optimization scenario, a cadmium removal rate of 99.23 % was achieved while consuming 25.6 W of power. The input parameters for this achievement should be set as follows: initial cadmium concentration of 100 ppm, pH level of 8, stirring time of 75 min, stirring speed of 100 rpm, temperature of 26 °C, and a dose of vine shoots of 0.1 g.

Excess Pb (II) concentrations in wastewater have raised concerns of a risk to health and the environment due to their toxicity. This has contributed to the need for sustainable technology to remove heavy metals from wastewater. Biosorption provides a potential contribution to a solution. This study proposes a cost-effective method to remove lead ions from wastewater through the use of activated carbon from vine shoots as a biosorbent. However, economic cost and environmental impact are aspects that are necessary to study. This research suggests the use of a life cycle assessment and multiresponse surface method with desirability functions to improve and optimize the biosorption process. The experiments were conducted using a Box–Behnken design of experiments (BBD) combined with the multiresponse surface method. Three input variables were considered. They are initial lead concentration, pH, and the amount of activated carbon from vine shoots. These are the most significant adsorption process variables. The final lead concentration was considered as a process output variable. Human toxicity, global warming, abiotic depletion (fossil fuel), marine aquatic ecotoxicity, and freshwater ecotoxicity were regarded as process environmental impacts. Four optimization scenarios were proposed using these methods. The maximum removal of lead was 92.12%, whereas 92.09% of lead was removed when the minimum dose of vine shoot activated carbon was used. In contrast, 52.62% of lead was removed in the case of minimal environmental impact.

This research investigates the optimized biosorption of zinc ions using lignocellulosic materials derived from Vitis vinifera, specifically grape stems and vine shoots. The study aims to address heavy metal pollution by utilizing agricultural waste for sustainable and cost-effective zinc ion removal from wastewater. The biosorbents were prepared and characterized, and key parameters such as initial zinc ion concentration, pH, biosorbent dose, and stirring time were optimized using Response Surface Methodology with Box-Behnken Design. The kinetics of adsorption were represented by pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, while the equilibrium isotherms were characterized using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The research achieved zinc ion removal efficiencies of up to 99.41% for grape stems and 91.93% for vine shoots. The optimal conditions for biosorption were found to be a pH of 7, a biosorbent dose of 2.1 g for grape stems and 2.5 g for vine shoots, and a stirring time of 25 min for grape stems and 18 min for vine shoots. Functional groups and alterations in the surface morphology of the biosorbents were verified through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Life Cycle Assessment provided insights into the environmental impacts of zinc biosorption.