Review of functionalised clay materials for removal of bisphenol A from industrial and wastewater effluents

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely used industrial chemical, is notorious for its bio-accumulative persistence and toxicity, posing significant threats to environmental and public health. The presence of BPA in industrial and wastewater effluents has become a growing concern, necessitating effective removal techniques. Current wastewater treatment methods often fall short in addressing the complexity of BPA contamination under different conditions, which highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions. One promising approach involves the use of clay and clay-derived materials, which have gained global recognition for wastewater remediation due to their abundance, eco-friendliness, low cost, tunability, and potential for regeneration. Recent research trends focus on the functionalisation of clay materials (FCMs), enhancing their efficiency in adsorbing, degrading, and removing emerging organic pollutants such as BPA, as well as heavy metals, pesticides, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The functionalisation of clays with various modifiers has been shown to improve their sorption capacity, degradation efficiency, and hydrophobicity. This review aims to systematically highlight the use of FCMs for the removal of BPA from industrial and wastewater effluents. A detailed description of enhanced clay materials and processes of BPA removal from these effluents has been presented in this study. However, to establish its position as an ideal candidate for BPA removal, more investigations are critical to adopt the best modification agent(s) and conditions for functionalisation.