Sustainable clay-polymer adsorbents for emerging contaminants removal: a review

Emerging contaminants have escalated global anxiety as they pose an extensive threat to the ecological domain due to their toxic nature at very low concentrations, tenacity which might lead to bioaccumulation, ability to interfere with the endocrine system, and their conversion to chiral metabolites that are receptor specific which might have detrimental effects on the biotic life. This demands their sequestration from the water sources through appropriate methods that are economically feasible and highly efficient. Traditional water treatment techniques frequently fail to eliminate emerging contaminants, highlighting the need for the development of more effective and cost-efficient solutions. Adsorption is a potent approach for the removal of emerging contaminants due to its simplistic design, low cost, higher efficiency, and non-production of secondary effluents. This review thoroughly assesses the sources, fate, transport, and toxicological effects of emerging contaminants, highlighting their elimination by clay-polymer nanocomposites. The primary parameters affecting adsorption efficacy are methodically, including pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration, organic matter, and competing ions.