Hydrogel for Environment

With the rapid progress of industrialization and the exponential growth of population, the environmental pollution caused by air, water, and soil has reached a critical level. The facile functionalization and desirable physiochemical properties have propelled hydrogels to the forefront of environmental applications.

Introduction to Environment Pollution Various environmental hazards pose risks, including the presence of harmful chemicals in the air, water bodies, soil, and food sources. Human activities often lead to elevated levels of these contaminants, which can have detrimental effects on wildlife and ecosystems. Additionally, long-term consequences can arise from chronic exposure to low levels of these substances, resulting in adverse health effects.

Utilization of the Hydrogel for the Environment

One approach to mitigate environmental exposures involves treating the actual environment (i.e., air, soil, water) in order to eliminate pollutants and prevent their transfer to humans. Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer networks that possess the ability to absorb significant amounts of water (in some cases exceeding 90% of their dry weight) while maintaining structural integrity. These distinctive characteristics have rendered hydrogels highly appealing for a diverse range of applications within the field of environmental science.

• Hydrogel for Environmental Pollutants Sensor
  Hydrogel-based sensors for the detection of environmental pollutants require minimal operator training, additional reagents, and sophisticated instrumentation to achieve precise and sensitive qualification and quantification of the desired analytes in the field. Since a majority of these sensors rely on colorimetric detection, visual or smartphone camera-assisted detection can be employed.
• Hydrogels for Environment Protection
  The hydrogel has been developed to effectively eliminate both organic and inorganic pollutants from the environment, thereby mitigating human exposure to environmental contaminants.
  • Organic Pollutant Removal
    Hydrogels can be utilized for the remediation of organic pollutants, encompassing per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceutical compounds, and various other commodity chemicals.

    Hydrogel for PFAS Removal
    The DMAPAA-Q hydrogel has been proven to be a highly effective absorbent for eliminating 16 different PFAS from various water sources.

    Hydrogel for Oil Removal
    Hydrogel-coated membranes have emerged as a viable solution for the mitigation of detrimental oil spills and releases.

    Hydrogel for Dye Removal
    Hydrogel-based platforms offer a promising solution for mitigating textile industry waste through aqueous dye removal.

  • Inorganic Pollutant Removal
    The majority of research on the treatment of inorganic pollutants primarily focuses on the removal of heavy metals, which are major contributors to water contamination. Hydrogel exhibits exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength, along with a high capacity and rapid kinetics for heavy metal removal, even at low concentrations. This is particularly important when dealing with highly toxic metals.

Fig. 1 The redox-responsive hydrogels reduce the concentration of Hg²⁺. (Gutierrez AM, et al., 2022)

The Hydrogel Development Services We Provide

Want to learn more about hydrogel for environment? Matexcel provides high-quality hydrogel development services, and hydrogel analysis and characterization services. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

Reference

1. Gutierrez AM.; et al. Hydrogels and Hydrogel Nanocomposites: Enhancing Healthcare through Human and Environmental Treatment. Adv Healthc Mater. 2022 Apr;11(7):e2101820.