Khan Hammad, Usama Muhammad, Khan Mohammad Ilyas, Wahab Fazal, Ahmad Izhar, Hamid Ali, Hussain Sajjad, Maqbool Arslan
Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi 23640, Pakistan.
Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi 23640, Pakistan.
J Environ Manage. 2025 Feb;375:124202. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124202. Epub 2025 Jan 29.
The ubiquitous presence of plastic waste presents a significant environmental challenge, characterized by its persistence and detrimental impacts on ecosystems. The valorization of plastic waste through conversion into high-value carbon materials offers a promising circular economy approach. This review critically examines the potential of plastic waste-derived activated carbon (PAC) as a sustainable and effective adsorbent for water remediation. The manuscript commences with a concise overview of the multifaceted nature of plastic pollution, highlighting its classification, environmental implications, and the limitations of existing waste management frameworks. Subsequently, it delves into the intricacies of PAC production, critically analyzing various preparation methods and their associated challenges. A comprehensive exploration of modification strategies, including chemical activation and surface functionalization, is undertaken to elucidate their role in enhancing PAC's adsorption selectivity and capacity for diverse pollutants. The effectiveness of PAC in removing a diverse array of pollutants, including emerging contaminants and recalcitrant organic compounds, is thoroughly examined. While acknowledging the influence of key factors such as pollutant characteristics and solution chemistry on adsorption efficiency, the review also identifies critical challenges, including the high production costs associated with PAC synthesis, variability of plastic waste composition, the potential for leaching of residual monomers, and the complexities of multi-pollutant adsorption. Future research directions are outlined, emphasizing the need for advanced characterization techniques, computational modeling to optimize adsorbent design, and rigorous life cycle assessments to evaluate the environmental sustainability of PAC production. By addressing these challenges, PAC offers a promising pathway towards a circular economy, mitigating plastic pollution while providing a sustainable and effective solution for water remediation.
塑料垃圾的普遍存在带来了重大的环境挑战，其特点是具有持久性并对生态系统产生有害影响。通过将塑料垃圾转化为高价值碳材料来实现其价值提升，提供了一种很有前景的循环经济方法。本综述批判性地研究了源自塑料垃圾的活性炭（PAC）作为一种用于水修复的可持续且有效吸附剂的潜力。本文首先简要概述了塑料污染的多面性，强调了其分类、环境影响以及现有废物管理框架的局限性。随后，深入探讨了PAC生产的复杂性，批判性地分析了各种制备方法及其相关挑战。对包括化学活化和表面功能化在内的改性策略进行了全面探索，以阐明它们在提高PAC对多种污染物的吸附选择性和能力方面的作用。全面研究了PAC在去除包括新兴污染物和难降解有机化合物在内的各种污染物方面的有效性。在承认污染物特性和溶液化学等关键因素对吸附效率的影响的同时，本综述还确定了关键挑战，包括与PAC合成相关的高生产成本、塑料垃圾成分的变异性、残留单体浸出的可能性以及多污染物吸附的复杂性。概述了未来的研究方向，强调需要先进的表征技术、用于优化吸附剂设计的计算模型以及严格的生命周期评估，以评估PAC生产的环境可持续性。通过应对这些挑战，PAC为实现循环经济提供了一条很有前景的途径，既能减轻塑料污染，又能为水修复提供可持续且有效的解决方案。
