The removal of organic compounds by natural and synthetic surface-functionalized zeolites: a mini-review

The use of zeolites as sorbents has been investigated as a replacement for existing costly methods of removing organic contaminants from water solutions. Zeolites can be modified by inorganic salts, organic surfactants, metals or metal oxides in order to increase their adsorption capacity. The unique ion exchange and adsorption properties of zeolites make them very suitable for application in the removal of organic compounds such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols and other complex petrochemicals. Many different studies have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing the concentrations of organic contaminants as well as petroleum derivatives in water, which has been summarized in this paper.