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Unlocking the potential of hydrogel microspheres for sustainable environmental remediation

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Published/Copyright: March 11, 2026
Pure and Applied Chemistry
From the journal Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract

Contamination of water and soil causes serious damage to the environment as well as public health. Conventional remediation methods have drawbacks such as high cost, complexity, and environmentally harmful. Biodegradable hydrogel microspheres, made of cross-linked polymer networks offer an eco-friendly alternative due to their biocompatibility, water retention, and flexibility. They exhibit improved efficacy in eliminating soil and water contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals and organic dyes through electrostatic, hydrophobic and ion exchange interactions. Nanoparticle encapsulated hydrogels show excellent adsorption, recyclability, and stability. Sustainable agriculture is promoted through hydrogels by retaining nutrients, immobilizing heavy metals, and facilitating controlled pesticide release. In wastewater remediation, hydrogels function by neutralizing germs, remove pollutants, and adsorb greasy contaminants. Biodegradable hydrogels made from natural polymers such as cellulose, gelatin, and starch are significant because of their low toxicity and compatibility. Advanced manufacturing techniques, including microfluidics and 3D printing, have been implemented to optimize hydrogel structure for effective pollutant removal. Overcoming the barrier from laboratory development to field application is essential for finding impactful uses of hydrogel microspheres as adaptive, sustainable technology for global environmental issues. This review focusses on design, synthesis and potential of hydrogels in reducing environmental pollution with special focus on water and soil remediation.

Keywords: Adsorption; biodegradable polymer; hydrogel microspheres; soil remediation; water treatment
Corresponding author: Perumal Asaithambi, Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Technology, and Architecture, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, 303007, Rajasthan, India, e-mail:

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Meenambiga Setti Sudharsan – Design of work, Data Collection, Drafting and Reviewing the article, Lakshmipriya Selvam – Drafting the article Haripriya Mani – Drafting the article Vivek Pazhamalai – Data collection and analysis, Drafting the article, Hariharan Nattanmai Mothilal – Drafting, Reviewing, Critical revision of the article, Perumal Asaithambi – Reviewing the article for final version.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Not applicable.

  5. Conflict of interest: There are no conflicts of interest among the authors.

  6. Research funding: The authors haven’t received any funds from any funding agencies to write this review work.

  7. Data availability: The data that support the findings of this review article are available in public domain resources.

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Received: 2025-11-27
Accepted: 2026-01-29
Published Online: 2026-03-11

© 2026 IUPAC & De Gruyter

https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2025-0708
Keywords for this article
Adsorption; biodegradable polymer; hydrogel microspheres; soil remediation; water treatment
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