Using Leaves and Needles of Trees as Sorption Materials for the Extraction of Oil and Petroleum Products from Solid and Water Surfaces

Due to the increase in the volume of extracted, processed and transported oil and petroleum products, emergency situations are becoming more frequent, accompanied by a spill of oil and petroleum products, which has disastrous consequences for the environment and harms human health. This review summarizes the literature data on the use of components of woody biomass of deciduous and coniferous tree species—foliage and needles as raw materials for the production of sorption materials for the removal of oil and petroleum products from the water surface and from wastewater. Interest in the development of adsorbents originating from renewable natural sources, including multi-tonnage biomass waste, is caused at the world level in solving problems of rational nature management. It is shown that it is possible to increase the hydrophobicity of sorption materials from biomass waste and their sorption capacity by modifying them with acidic chemical reagents, low-pressure high-frequency plasma, and heat treatment. The optimal modification parameters for achieving the highest adsorption parameters in terms of oil capacity and oil adsorption from solid and water surfaces, as well as the mechanisms of processes based on models of sorption isotherms, are given. The future prospects of using leaves and needles of trees as precursor materials for the creation of cost-effective and effective sorbents are noted.