Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore 641046, India.
College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa 16417, Ethiopia.
Bioresour Technol. 2017 Oct;242:295-303. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.03.119. Epub 2017 Mar 22.
Biopolymers are substances naturally produced by living organisms and are hence considered to be eco-friendly and sustainable. Chitosan and cellulose are of specific significance owing to their abundant availability, ease of modification, and application potential. On the environmental front, their coagulating and flocculating effects have helped in wastewater clarification, while minimizing the dependability on synthetic polyelectrolytes. Biopolymer based hydrogels and nanocomposite films have functioned as effective biosorbents in removing an array of organic and inorganic pollutants, including xenobiotics, from wastewater. Specifically, they have been vastly harnessed for heavy metal and dye adsorption. They have also played a pivotal part in other environmental applications including anti-desertification, natural bio-sealants for preventing concrete leaks and proton conducting membranes in electrochemical devices. Such recent research on the environmental applications of biopolymers has been comprehensively analysed, thus providing a fresh insight into the future prospects of research in this domain.
生物聚合物是生物体自然产生的物质，因此被认为是环保和可持续的。壳聚糖和纤维素因其丰富的可用性、易于修饰和应用潜力而具有特殊意义。在环境方面，它们的凝聚和絮凝作用有助于废水澄清，同时减少对合成聚电解质的依赖。基于生物聚合物的水凝胶和纳米复合薄膜已作为有效的生物吸附剂，用于去除废水中的一系列有机和无机污染物，包括外源性物质。具体来说，它们被广泛用于重金属和染料的吸附。它们还在其他环境应用中发挥了关键作用，包括防沙化、防止混凝土泄漏的天然生物密封剂以及电化学装置中的质子传导膜。对生物聚合物在环境中的应用的最近研究进行了全面分析，从而为该领域的未来研究前景提供了新的见解。
