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Production and environmental applications of gelatin-based composite adsorbents for contaminants removal: a review

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Abstract

Industrial activities generate considerable volumes of wastewater containing organic and inorganic contaminants. Adsorption is an efficient method for wastewater treatment due to its ease of operation, convenience, and efficiency. However, finding suitable adsorbent materials that are abundant, cheap, and efficient remains a challenge. Gelatin is considered a promising adsorbent due to its abundant surface of active groups, water solubility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. Also, gelatin allows the addition of other compounds in the gel network, overcoming some disadvantages such as low mechanical resistance to temperature and humidity. Here we review the production of gelatin-based composites including beads/spheres, hydrogels, aerogels, and films, and their use to remove toxic metals, dyes, nitrate, phosphate, and oily contaminants from aqueous matrices. Considerations Economic, environmental, and real applications aspects are also discussed.

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Source: Created from the methods of studies of Saber-Samandari et al. (2017) and Hayeeye et al. (2017)

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Source: Created from the methods of studies of Zheng et al. (2015), Wang et al. (2013), and Kovtun et al. (2020)

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Source: Created from the methods of studies of Ortiz-Zarama et al. (2014), Shankar et al. (2019), and Silva et al. (2018)

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Abbreviations

CNT’s:

Carbon nanotubes

IPN:

Interpenetrating polymer network

HPET:

Hydrolyzed poly(ethylene terphthalate)

pHPZC:

Point of zero charge

CCGM’s:

Carboxymethyl chitosan/gelatin microspheres

AGMGel:

Amine-grafted magnetic gelatin

Cs/Gltn/PDMAEMA:

Chitosan/Gelatin/2-(N,N-Dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate hydrogel

HT:

Encapsulated hydrotalcite

Fe3O4@GelHT:

Gelatin (Gel) encapsulated hydrotalcite (HT) impregnated by iron oxide (Fe3O4)

GelHT:

Gelatin (Gel) encapsulated hydrotalcite (HT)

Fe3O4@HT:

Encapsulated hydrotalcite (HT) impregnated by iron oxide (Fe3O4)

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)–Finance Code 001.

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Cesar Vinicius Toniciolli Rigueto was involved in project administration, data curation, writing—original draft preparation, and writing—reviewing; Mateus Torres Nazari, Lillian Avila Massuda, and Bruna Elisangela Pessini Ostwald were involved in writing—original draft preparation, and Jeferson Steffanello Piccin and Aline Dettmer were involved in supervision and writing—reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Cesar Vinicus Toniciolli Rigueto or Aline Dettmer.

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Rigueto, C.V.T., Nazari, M.T., Massuda, L.Á. et al. Production and environmental applications of gelatin-based composite adsorbents for contaminants removal: a review. Environ Chem Lett 19, 2465–2486 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01184-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01184-0

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