review · RSC Advances
Contamination from hazardous chemicals and water-borne pathogens creates an urgent need for effective water treatment. Sustainable polymeric adsorbents, such as porous aromatic frameworks, biopolymers, and molecularly imprinted polymers, offer viable options for water remediation and pathogen deactivation. These materials feature high surface areas, tunable surface chemistries, and mechanical stability. Such characteristics support the extraction of diverse pollutants, including heavy metals, organic compounds, and emerging contaminants, while also deactivating harmful microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Current literature highlights the strong performance of these materials but also points to critical gaps. Advancing these systems will require creating multifunctional polymeric adsorbents and integrating adsorption processes with other advanced remediation technologies to support next-generation water purification systems.
Contaminated water containing toxic pollutants and infectious microorganisms poses a severe risk to public health. Developing sustainable polymeric adsorbents can improve water purification by capturing chemical hazards and neutralising biological pathogens simultaneously. Understanding these material properties helps guide the development of cleaner, safer, and more reliable drinking water systems for communities.
This work informs the design of water purification and remediation systems. Potential users include municipal water treatment operators and environmental remediation services seeking integrated solutions for chemical contaminants and microbial pathogens. Because the abstract describes an overview of material properties and calls for future development of multifunctional materials, the concepts appear to be at an early research and design stage rather than ready for immediate commercial deployment.
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Water is a fundamental resource, yet various contaminants increasingly threaten its quality, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Sustainable polymeric adsorbents have emerged as promising materials in adsorption-based water remediation technologies, particularly for the removal of contaminants and deactivation of water-borne pathogens. Pathogenetic water contamination, which involves the presence of harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, poses a significant threat to public health. This review aims to analyze the unique properties of various polymeric materials, including porous aromatic frameworks, biopolymers, and molecularly imprinted polymers, and their effectiveness in water remediation applications. Key findings reveal that these adsorbents demonstrate high surface areas, tunable surface chemistries, and mechanical stability, which enhance their performance in removing contaminants such as heavy metals, organic pollutants, and emerging contaminants from water sources. Furthermore, the review identifies gaps in current research and suggests future directions, including developing multifunctional polymeric materials and integrating adsorption techniques with advanced remediation technologies. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to advancing next-generation water purification technologies, ensuring access to clean and safe water for future generations.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra05269b
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