123 1. INTRODUCTION The contamination of water sources with naturally occurring radionuclides, stemming from geological processes, industrial activities, and accidental releases, presents a significant environmental challenge that requires effective remediation strategies. Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) pose a critical concern if not effectively removed from water sources, needing robust monitoring and remediation. Among these radionuclides, uranium is particularly concerning; not only for its radiological aspects, but also as a toxic element with carcinogenic and mutagenic properties (Asic et al., 2017). Therefore, the highly selective removal and recovery of uranium from aqueous effluents is essential to mitigate the environmental impact of radioactive contaminations (Li et al., 2019). While various treatment methods, such as chemical precipitation and ion exchange, are currently employed, they often face critical limitations, including high installation costs, limited selectivity, and the generation of hazardous sludge. Consequently, adsorption is increasingly considered a viable alternative due to its ease of operation, broad applicability, and relatively low cost (Liu et al., 2024). In line with circular economy principles and the EU's zero-pollution ambition, there is a growing interest in replacing conventional synthetic sorbents—which are often expensive and toxic—with abundant, eco-friendly "green adsorbents" (EU, 2021). Green adsorbents derived from sustainable sources, such as agricultural waste and biopolymers, utilize waste products to treat hazardous effluents, thereby minimizing secondary pollution (Zemskova & Egorin, 2024; Sahoo et al., 2018). In practice, these materials have proven highly effective at removing radionuclides. For example, modified bentonite clay has demonstrated over 90% removal of U(VI) and Th(IV) (Al-Shaybe et al., 2020), whereas functionalized Moringa seed has achieved uranium removal efficiencies of up to 98% (Hamza et al., 2021). Similarly, biochar produced from garden waste has been shown to effectively remove Caesium137 by leveraging its porous structure and functional groups, such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups (El-Naggar et al., 2022). Two promising candidates in the field of waste-based and natural-based adsorbents for radionuclide removal in water treatment processes are chitosan and Moringa Oleifera. Chitosan, a polysaccharide polymer typically derived from crustacean shell waste, is rich in amine and hydroxyl functional groups that exhibit strong coordination affinity for radionuclides (Huang et al., 2017). Meanwhile, Moringa Oleifera seeds—traditionally used for water purification in water-scarce regions—offer a sustainable plant-based alternative. However, although Chitosan is well documented, comparative studies assessing the viability of Moringa Oleifera seeds (MOS) for uranium remediation relative to established biopolymers are limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the potential of Moringa Oleifera seeds as a sustainable biosorbent for removing uranium from aqueous solutions, comparing their performance with that of Chitosan. Extraction experiments were conducted under controlled conditions to assess adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, the influence of operational parameters,
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