The Responsive behavior of Hydrogels for Wastewater Treatment and their Advancement in Removal of Water Pollutants

Abstract

Over the last couple of decades, hydrogels have been potentially used for removing hazardous metals, dyes, pharmaceutical chemicals, and more contaminants from wastewater. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of hydrogel technology and its wastewater treatment applications. Different sources and compositions of hydrogels are highlighting various advantages and drawbacks of each. The key factors, including swelling behavior, mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and reusability of hydrogels, demonstrate excellent performance in wastewater treatment. The development of hybrid hydrogels, nanocomposite hydrogels, and functionalized hydrogels showcases their enhanced efficiency in relation to hydrogel-to-wastewater pollutant interactions with increased adsorption capacity, selectivity, and regeneration capabilities. Furthermore, the utilization of hydrogels in large-scale wastewater treatment systems is thoroughly evaluated, considering factors including cost-effectiveness, scalability, and long-term stability. The authors reviewed the potential of the hydrogels in wastewater treatment by consolidating prerequisite insights into their synthesis, essential functionalization, and application strategies. While hydrogels exhibit promising pollutant removal capabilities, further efforts are needed to address scalability challenges and improve long-term performance in diverse water treatment settings. Still, some of the methodologies described (for example, adsorption and photocatalysis) may oversimplify the challenges in real-world applications, such as scalability and cost. Prioritizing hydrogel-based solutions for sustainable and effective wastewater treatment, this study lines up to contribute to their development by highlighting recent advancements and emerging wastewater treatment technologies.