Gelatin-based adsorbents for efficient adsorptive removal of toxic pollutants in wastewater: A step towards environmental sustainability

Water contamination and the growing scarcity of clean drinking water, driven by rapid industrialization and urbanization, have intensified research into advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Among available methods, adsorption remains a widely studied approach due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and broad applicability. Gelatin, a biodegradable, low-toxicity and renewable natural polymer rich in functional groups, has recently emerged as a promising platform for adsorbent development. This review provides a critical and systematic overview of recent advances in gelatin-based adsorbent formulations (hydrogels, aerogels, beads, nanofibres and nanocomposites), focusing on their fabrication strategies, structure–performance relationships, adsorption mechanisms and regeneration behaviour. The adsorption efficiency of gelatin-based materials is strongly influenced by their morphological, textural and chemical properties, which can be tailored through controlled synthesis and modification techniques. Various preparation routes have been reported to enhance surface chemistry, functional groups and hierarchical morphologies. In addition, the incorporation of 0–2D nanofillers into gelatin matrices has been widely explored to improve adsorption capacity and selectivity. These materials have been extensively investigated for removing heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and radioactive contaminants. Reported studies demonstrate that gelatin-based adsorbents exhibit good desorption and regeneration performance, supporting their economic and environmental sustainability. Overall, this review highlights the versatility and future potential of gelatin-based adsorbents while identifying key challenges and research gaps for their practical application in wastewater treatment.