Comparative performance analysis of physical treatment techniques for organophosphorus insecticide decontamination in aqueous systems: a systematic review

Contamination of aquatic environments with diazinon, one of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides, has emerged as a critical global concern due to its high mobility, environmental persistence, and pronounced neurotoxicity. These characteristics highlight the urgent need for efficient and sustainable treatment strategies. This systematic review synthesizes research published between 2014 and 2025 that investigates the performance of physical treatment technologies, with emphasis on adsorption and membrane-based filtration, for diazinon removal from aqueous media. The analysis reveals that low-cost, bio-derived adsorbents provide high removal efficiencies and offer strong potential for scalable applications. Additionally, nanofiltration membranes demonstrate notable selective separation performance driven by size- and charge-dependent mechanisms, although membrane fouling remains a significant operational challenge. Overall, the evidence indicates that physical treatment methods represent promising, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solutions for diazinon mitigation. This review identifies existing knowledge gaps and outlines future research directions toward developing advanced adsorbents and fouling-resistant membranes to enhance treatment efficiency in real-world water purification systems.