Natural and Natural-Based Polymers: Recent Developments in Management of Emerging Pollutants

Anthropogenic activities lead to the issue of new classes of pollutants in the environment that are not currently monitored in environmental studies. This category of pollutants (known as emerging contaminants) includes a very wide range of target substances, such as pharmaceuticals, plant protection products, personal care products, dyes, toxins, microplastics and many other industrially important intermediaries. Together with an increasing demand for clean water (both for agricultural necessities and for the increasing population consumption), the need for the removal of emerging pollutants, simultaneously with the current green chemistry approach, opens the door for the industrial application of natural polymers in the area of environmental protection. Recent developments in this area are presented in this paper, as well as the application of these particular natural materials for the removal of other contaminants of interest (such as radioisotopes and nanoparticles). The current knowledge regarding the processes' kinetics is briefly presented, as well as the future development perspectives in this area.

Automated summary

Anthropogenic activities have led to the emergence of a new class of pollutants in the environment, known as emerging contaminants, which are not currently monitored in environmental studies. These pollutants include pharmaceuticals, plant protection products, personal care products, dyes, toxins, microplastics, and other industrially important intermediaries. The increasing demand for clean water and the need to remove emerging pollutants have opened up opportunities for the industrial application of natural polymers in environmental protection. This paper presents recent developments in this area and discusses the application of natural materials for the removal of other contaminants of interest, such as radioisotopes and nanoparticles. It also briefly reviews the current knowledge of process kinetics and future development prospects in this field.