Innovative technologies to remove alkylphenols from wastewater: a review

Alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates are emerging hazardous contaminants due in particular to their endocrine-disrupting properties. These compounds originate from consumer products such as paints latex paints, adhesives, inks, formulation of pesticides, paper industry, textile leather petroleum recovery chemicals, metal working fluids, personal care products, washing agents, cleaners, detergents. Since classical wastewater treatments have not been designed remove alkylphenols, these end up polluting ecosystems. Here we review three advanced methods alkylphenols derivatives. First, innovative polymers, cyclodextrin polymers molecularly imprinted allow effluents by adsorption. Second, biotechnologies microalgae, biodegradation constructed wetlands sequential anaerobic–aerobic digestion treatments. Third, oxidation processes degrade recalcitrant e.g., ozone-carbon coupling, electrochemical degradation, photocatalysis, zero-valent iron-activated persulfate catalytic ozonation.