Efficient removal and upcycling of pollutants in wastewater: a strategy for reconciling environmental pollution and resource depletion crisis

Abstract

Due to the relentless exploitation of non-renewable resources, humanity is faced with a resource depletion crisis in the coming decades and serious environmental issues. Achieving efficient removal and upcycling of pollutants (ERUP) may become a potential strategy to address these issues. Wastewater, characterized by its large production volume and fluidity, can easily cause widespread environmental pollution through natural water networks. Due to solubility constraints, pollutants in wastewater typically exhibit low concentrations and complex compositions, thereby impeding effective recovery. Therefore, achieving ERUP in wastewater is both highly significant and extremely challenging. Unlike conventional wastewater treatment strategies that are focused on removing pollutants, ERUP strategies can not only realize the efficient removal of pollutants from water but also convert pollutants into valuable and functional products. Herein, we enumerated the latest research progress on ERUP in wastewater and highlighted studies that demonstrate the simultaneous achievement of pollutant removal and the direct conversion of these contaminants into high-efficiency catalysts, hydrogen energy, electrical energy, and other high-value chemicals. Finally, we identified the problems and challenges in the development of ERUP in wastewater and outlined potential research directions for future studies.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

environmental pollution / resource depletion / upcycling / wastewater / pollutants

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Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFC3703700), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22125606), and the Special Project of Ecological Environmental Technology for Carbon Dioxide Emissions Peak and Carbon Neutrality (Grant No. RCEES-TDZ-2021-21).

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2024 Higher Education Press