Polysaccharide-based biodegradable hydrogel adsorbents for sustainable water treatment: Functional enhancements and environmental sustainability – a critical review

Water pollution poses a critical global threat to public health, ecosystems, and sustainable development, necessitating innovative and environmentally responsible water treatment technologies. Among various approaches, adsorption stands out for its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and operational sim...

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Main Authors: Ros Azlinawati, Ramli, Abd El-Fattah, Wesam, Sillanpaa, Mika, Guesmi, Ahlem, Ben Hamadi, Naoufel
Format: Article
Language:en
Published: Elsevier Ltd. 2026
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Online Access:https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/47371/1/Ramli-IJBM%2C%202026.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151028
https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/47371/
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Summary:Water pollution poses a critical global threat to public health, ecosystems, and sustainable development, necessitating innovative and environmentally responsible water treatment technologies. Among various approaches, adsorption stands out for its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and operational simplicity, with biodegradable hydrogel adsorbents recently emerging as promising candidates due to their tunable physicochemical properties, biodegradability, and high adsorption capacity. However, large-scale feasibility, long-term stability, environmental safety, degradation behaviours, and life cycle sustainability assessments remain underexplored, creating a significant research gap. This review critically examines recent advancements in functionalized biodegradable hydrogel adsorbents for water treatment, highlighting chemical modifications, nanocomposite integration, and stimuli-responsive designs that enhance adsorption efficiency, selectivity, and reusability. By integrating insights from materials science, environmental engineering, and green chemistry, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of functional enhancements, environmental sustainability considerations, and industrial translation prospects. Ultimately, the review offers a roadmap for next-generation hydrogel adsorbents, promoting their role as sustainable and high-performance materials for future water purification technologies