Unveiling the role of hydrogels in managing water contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A critical review with emphasis on agricultural applications

IF 7.4 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Pub Date : 2025-06-23 DOI:10.1016/j.jece.2025.117707

Alessandro F. Martins , Paulo R. Souza , Felipe M. de Souza , Ram K. Gupta , Bruno H. Vilsinski , Rafael Quadrado , André R. Fajardo

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Abstract

The contamination of water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) poses significant threats to environmental and human health. These chemicals contaminate drinking water and irrigation systems, including surface and groundwater supplies. Despite ongoing efforts to regulate and restrict PFAS, these substances remain widely used, with new variants still being developed. Various treatment processes have been explored to address this issue, with hydrogel-based adsorption emerging as a promising approach. This review evaluates the role of hydrogels and their composites in remediating PFAS-contaminated water. Advanced treatment methods, including oxidation, coagulation, and adsorption with conventional adsorbents, are compared to hydrogel-based adsorbents. Hydrogels offer advantages such as enhanced recovery, reusability, and the ability to concentrate PFAS for subsequent degradation via oxidative methods. Furthermore, their tunable hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties enable efficient removal of both long- and short-chain PFAS. The highest PFAS removal efficiencies, exceeding 90%, and adsorption capacities of up to 1276 mg/g have been reported for hydrogels containing cationic or quaternary ammonium groups. Theoretical studies suggest that hydrophobic interactions play a dominant role in the removal of long-chain PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In contrast, effective removal of short-chain PFAS, such as perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), relies on both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. By highlighting the benefits and limitations of hydrogels, this review underscores their potential as versatile tools for addressing the global challenge of PFAS contamination. Additionally, it rationalizes the challenges and future perspectives in this field, offering valuable insights to guide students and researchers in shaping the direction of future studies.

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揭示水凝胶在管理被全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质污染的水中的作用：重点审查农业应用

全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）对水的污染对环境和人类健康构成重大威胁。这些化学物质污染饮用水和灌溉系统，包括地表水和地下水供应。尽管正在努力规范和限制PFAS，但这些物质仍被广泛使用，新的变体仍在开发中。人们已经探索了各种处理方法来解决这个问题，其中基于水凝胶的吸附是一种很有前途的方法。本文综述了水凝胶及其复合材料在修复pfas污染水体中的作用。先进的处理方法，包括氧化、混凝和传统吸附剂的吸附，与水凝胶吸附剂进行了比较。水凝胶具有提高回收率、可重复使用性和浓缩PFAS以通过氧化方法进行后续降解的能力等优点。此外，它们可调节的亲疏水性使其能够有效地去除长链和短链PFAS。据报道，含有阳离子或季铵基团的水凝胶的PFAS去除效率最高，超过90%，吸附容量高达1276 mg/g。理论研究表明，疏水相互作用在去除全氟辛酸（PFOA）等长链PFAS中起主导作用。相比之下，有效去除短链PFAS，如全氟丁烷磺酸（PFBS），依赖于疏水和静电相互作用。通过强调水凝胶的优点和局限性，本综述强调了它们作为解决PFAS污染全球挑战的多功能工具的潜力。此外，它合理化了该领域的挑战和未来前景，为指导学生和研究人员塑造未来的研究方向提供了有价值的见解。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering Environmental Science-Pollution

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

6.50%

发文量

2017

审稿时长

27 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (JECE) serves as a platform for the dissemination of original and innovative research focusing on the advancement of environmentally-friendly, sustainable technologies. JECE emphasizes the transition towards a carbon-neutral circular economy and a self-sufficient bio-based economy. Topics covered include soil, water, wastewater, and air decontamination; pollution monitoring, prevention, and control; advanced analytics, sensors, impact and risk assessment methodologies in environmental chemical engineering; resource recovery (water, nutrients, materials, energy); industrial ecology; valorization of waste streams; waste management (including e-waste); climate-water-energy-food nexus; novel materials for environmental, chemical, and energy applications; sustainability and environmental safety; water digitalization, water data science, and machine learning; process integration and intensification; recent developments in green chemistry for synthesis, catalysis, and energy; and original research on contaminants of emerging concern, persistent chemicals, and priority substances, including microplastics, nanoplastics, nanomaterials, micropollutants, antimicrobial resistance genes, and emerging pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) of environmental significance.