Role of Catalysis in Controlling Air and Water Pollution: A Chemical Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/sjmars.4.4.12Keywords:
Catalysis, Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Heterogeneous Catalysis, Photocatalysis, Biocatalysis, Environmental ChemistryAbstract
One of the most serious and problematic issues in the 21st century is air and water pollution, which creates significant threats to the ecosystem, human health, and the global economy. Industrial effluents, runoff from farms, and waste in urban areas are also to blame for the poor quality of air and water, and in most cases, they require intricate cleaning measures. Physical filtration, chemical precipitation, and adsorption are examples of traditional methods that have been in high demand. However, they are often energy-intensive, expensive, and likely to form secondary pollutants, which impose additional environmental costs. Quite to the contrary, catalysis has also emerged as an attractive and renewable alternative, promising higher potential efficiency, superior selectivity, and lower energy demands. This review broadly applied a chemical approach to detailing how catalytic processes reduce pollution in air and water systems. It covers various types of catalysis, including heterogeneous, homogeneous, biocatalysis, and photocatalysis, as well as the methods used for each, along with the materials that can be employed. The consequences of various innovative features in the handling of wastewater generated by cooking industries, the purification of flue gas, and the testing of pollutants in an environmentally friendly environment are elaborated further in the case studies. Additional common problems (catalyst deactivation, scalability, and economic sustainability) are discussed. In addition, nano-catalysis and engineered enzymes, as well as catalytic design using artificial intelligence, are explored as potential solutions for the next generation of pollution management. Ultimately, as this review underscores, catalysis is not merely a technological Band-Aid, but a groundbreaking pillar of sustainable development that aligns with the principles of green chemistry, offering a path to healthier and more sustainable ecosystems worldwide.
References
[1] Akther, N., Phuntsho, S., Chen, Y., Ghaffour, N., & Shon, H. K. (2019). Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Modified Polyamide Thin-Film Composite Membranes for Forward Osmosis Processes Journal of Membrane Science, 584, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2019.04.064
[2] Ameta, R., Benjamin, S., Ameta, A., & Ameta, S. C. (2012). Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants: A Review [Review of Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants: A Review]. Materials Science Forum, 734, 247. Trans Tech Publications. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.734.247
[3] Benavides, V., Serrano, A., Ibieta, F. P., Rubilar, O., & Ciudad, G. (2024). Biodegradation of olive mill solid waste by Anthracophyllum discolour and Stereum hirsutum: Effect of copper and manganese supplementation. Research Square (Research Square). https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5183746/v1
[4] Chen, T., Fu, C., Liu, Y., Pan, F., Wu, F., You, Z., & Li, J. (2021). Adsorption of volatile organic compounds by mesoporous graphitised carbon: Enhanced organophilicity, humidity resistance, and mass transfer. Separation and Purification Technology, 264, 118464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2021.118464
[5] Delimaris, D., & Ioannides, T. (2009). VOC oxidation over CuO–CeO2 catalysts prepared by a combustion method. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental and Energy, 89, 295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.02.003
[6] Dutta, D., Arya, S., & Kumar, S. (2021). Industrial wastewater treatment: Current trends, bottlenecks, and best practices. Chemosphere, 285, 131245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131245
[7] Furia, F., Minella, M., Gosetti, F., Turci, F., Sabatino, R., Cesare, A. D., Corno, G., & Vione, D. (2021). Elimination from wastewater of antibiotics reserved for hospital settings, with a Fenton process based on zero-valent iron. Chemosphere, 283, 131170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131170
[8] Hassaan, M. A., & Nemr, A. E. (2017). Advanced Oxidation Processes for Textile Wastewater Treatment. International Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpp.20170101.15
[9] Khan, M. S., Khalid, M., & Shahid, M. (2020). What triggers dye adsorption by metal-organic frameworks? The current perspectives. Materials Advances, 1(6), 1575. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ma00291g
[10] Kong, Y., Li, D., Zhang, C., Han, W., Xue, Y., Zhang, W., Sun, H., Wang, S., & Duan, X. (2023). Synergistic silver doping and N vacancy promoting photocatalytic performances of carbon nitride for pollutant oxidation and hydrogen production. Chemical Engineering Journal, 479, 147676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.147676
[11] Kumar, P., Gacem, A., Ahmad, M. T., Yadav, V. K., Singh, S., Yadav, K. K., Alam, Md. M., Dawane, V., Piplode, S., Maurya, P., Ahn, Y., Jeon, B., & Cabral-Pinto, M. M. S. (2022). Environmental and Human Health Implications of Metal (loid)s: Source Identification, Contamination, Toxicity, and Sustainable Cleanup Technologies. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.949581
[12] Lakhani, P., Bhanderi, D., & Modi, C. K. (2024). The impact of support materials on green synthesis and sustainable processing via heterogeneous catalysis. Discover Catalysis, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44344-024-00002-3
[13] Li, H. (2023). Development of Novel Mn-based Catalysts for Low Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides with Ammonia. Research Portal Denmark, 128. https://local.forskningsportal.dk/local/dki-cgi/ws/cris-link?src=dtu&id=dtu-f2007189-b474-4317-baad-3741506592eb&ti=Development%20of%20Novel%20Mn-based%20Catalysts%20for%20Low%20Temperature%20Selective%20Catalytic%20Reduction%20of%20Nitrogen%20Oxides%20with%20Ammonia
[14] Maizak, D., Wilberforce, T., & Olabi, A. G. (2020). DeNOx removal techniques for automotive applications – A review [Review of DeNOx removal techniques for automotive applications – A review]. Environmental Advances, 2, 100021. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2020.100021
[15] Marín-Marín, M. L., Rubio-Clemente, A., & Peñuela, G. A. (2023). Advanced Oxidation Processes Used in The Treatment of Perfluoroalkylated Substances in Water. Revista UIS Ingenierías, 22(3). https://doi.org/10.18273/revuin.v22n3-2023010
[16] Mokhtar, A., Saifullah, A., & Rahmandhika, A. (2021). Honeycomb-Shaped Brass Plate Catalyst to Reduce Motor Vehicle Emissions. Journal of Energy Mechanical Material and Manufacturing Engineering, 6(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.22219/jemmme.v6i1.15532
[17] Parameswari, K., Aamri, A. M. S. A., Gopalakrishnan, K., Arunachalam, S., Alawi, A. A. S. A., & Sivasakthivel, T. (2021). Sustainable landfill design for effective municipal solid waste management for resource and energy recovery. Materials Today Proceedings, 47, 2441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.04.528
[18] Pati, S., & Jangam, A. (2024). Green Synthesis of Ag/SiO2 Catalyst for its Application in CO-Oxidation. Research Square (Research Square). https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5335627/v1
[19] Pham, V. V., & Park, S. (2024). Catalysis for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development. Topics in Catalysis, 67, 1053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-024-02000-z
[20] Pio, I., Scarlino, A., Bloise, E., Mele, G., Santoro, O., Pastore, T., & Santoro, D. (2015). Efficient removal of low-arsenic concentrations from drinking water by combined coagulation and adsorption processes. Separation and Purification Technology, 147, 284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2015.05.002
[21] Raheel, F., Rafay, A., Bibi, B., Sher, A., Ali, Z., Saleem, M., Butt, M. S., Rehman, M. A. U., & Irfan, M. (2024). Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon and Its Application for Wastewater Treatment. 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/materproc2024017004
[22] Töre, G. Y., & Can, M. (2023). Clean production approaches in industries: a case study on pulp and paper production facility applications. In IWA Publishing eBooks (p. 107). UWA Publishing. https://doi.org/10.2166/9781789063783_0107
[23] Tran, V. H., Phuntsho, S., Park, H., Han, D. S., & Shon, H. K. (2017). Sulfur-containing air pollutants as a draw solution for fertiliser drawn forward osmosis desalination process for irrigation use. Desalination, 424, 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2017.09.014
[24] Vignesh, V., Subramani, K., Sathish, M., & Navamathavan, R. (2017). Electrochemical investigation of manganese ferrites prepared via a facile synthesis route for supercapacitor applications. Colloids and Surfaces A Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 538, 668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.11.045
[25] Yin, Q., He, K., Collins, G., Vrieze, J. D., & Wu, G. (2024). Microbial strategies driving low-concentration substrate degradation for sustainable remediation solutions. Npj Clean Water, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00348-z
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Stallion Journal for Multidisciplinary Associated Research Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
10.55544/sjmars
editor@sjmars.com | 
+91-8874396939
