Advances in gum-based hydrogels and their environmental applications

Gum-based hydrogels (GBHs) have been widely employed in diverse water purification processes due to their environmental properties, and high absorption capacity. More desired properties of GBHs such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, material cost, simplicity of manufacture, and wide range of uses have converted them into promising materials in water treatment processes. In this review, we explored the application of GBHs to remove pollutants from contaminated waters. Water resources are constantly being contaminated by a variety of harmful effluents such as heavy metals, dyes, and other dangerous substances. A practical way to remove chemical waste from water as a vital component is surface adsorption. Currently, hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric networks, are quite popular for adsorption. They have more extensive uses in several industries, including biomedicine, water purification, agriculture, sanitary products, and biosensors. This review will help the researcher to understand the research gaps and drawbacks in this field, which will lead to further developments in the future.

Automated summary

Gum-based hydrogels (GBHs) are widely used in water purification processes due to their environmental properties and high absorption capacity. They have desirable properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, low material cost, simplicity of manufacture, and wide range of uses, making them promising materials for water treatment. This review explores the application of GBHs in removing pollutants from contaminated waters. Hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric networks, are popular for adsorption and have extensive uses in industries such as biomedicine, water purification, agriculture, sanitary products, and biosensors. The review helps researchers understand the research gaps and drawbacks in this field, leading to future developments.