The increasing scarcity of water has led to extensive research focused on developing more efficient methods for treating wastewater to facilitate its reuse. Traditional treatment approaches, such as chemical precipitation, ion exchange, flotation, flocculation, coagulation, and membrane filtration, have shown several shortcomings. Notably, some of the major hurdles include the high costs of both initial investment and ongoing operations, the creation of harmful by-products, and the accumulation of sludge. Ionic liquids (ILs) have shown promise in many analytical and industrial extraction processes, yet their potential for wastewater treatment is still largely untapped. In this review, we explore the application of various ionic liquids in wastewater treatment, focusing on their versatility for effective, selective, and swift extraction methods designed to remove a wide array of water pollutants.
Madhulata Shukla (2026) studied this question.