Sustainable polysaccharide-based adsorbents for PFAS removal: Mechanisms, functional engineering, and future directions
Rezania S. Talaie A. Rajabi S. Kamyab H. Behroozi A.H.
1 June 2026Elsevier Ltd
Carbohydrate Polymers
2026#381
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often described as “forever chemicals,” continue to challenge water treatment technologies because of their exceptional chemical stability, tendency to accumulate in the environment, and resistance to conventional remediation processes. In recent years, naturally derived polysaccharides, such as cellulose, chitosan, starch, alginate, and cyclodextrins, have gained increasing attention as sustainable materials for PFAS removal. Beyond their environmental compatibility, these materials offer structural flexibility that allows PFAS to be captured through a combination of electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and physical entrapment within porous or cross-linked networks. This review brings together current understanding of how polysaccharide chemistry, material architecture, and targeted modification strategies influence PFAS adsorption behavior. Rather than emphasizing adsorption capacity alone, the discussion focuses on the interplay between adsorption mechanisms, PFAS molecular characteristics, and water matrix effects. Recent advances in chemical functionalization and hybrid polysaccharide-based materials are highlighted for their ability to improve selectivity, adsorption kinetics, and regeneration performance, particularly for short-chain PFAS that remain difficult to remove. Finally, key challenges related to competing contaminants, regeneration efficiency, and scalability are discussed, along with emerging design considerations for translating polysaccharide-based adsorbents from laboratory studies to practical water treatment applications.
Adsorption mechanisms , PFAS removal , Polysaccharides , Sustainable adsorbents , Water treatment
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Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, South Korea
Department of Natural Sciences, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, 030012, Kazakhstan
Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
UTE University, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Architecture Department, Research Group TCEMC, Quito, 170527, Ecuador
Institute of Convergence Science, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
Department of Chemical Engineering, Queens University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, ON, Canada
Department of Environment and Energy
Department of Natural Sciences
Environmental Health Engineering Research Center
UTE University
Institute of Convergence Science
Department of Chemical Engineering
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026