Nanozymes represent a new generation of artificial enzymes that combine nanomaterial properties with catalytic activities similar to those of natural enzymes. It has significant advantages in catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability, leading to increasing interest in their application in aqueous environments. Since the discovery of enzyme-like activity in Fe3O4, more and more iron-based nanozymes have been utilised for the detection and removal of pollutants. Iron is a non-toxic, low-cost transition metal, and this property makes iron-based nanozymes more compatible with safety requirements in aqueous environmental applications. Although iron-based nanozymes have demonstrated significant advantages in the water environment field, the relevant research is still in its infancy. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to systematically summarise the latest applications of iron-based nanozymes in the water environment. This paper describes the common methods of synthesising iron-based nanozymes. In addition, the applications of iron-based nanozymes in detecting pollutants and pollutant removal are reviewed. It was found that the removal of pollutants by iron-based nanozymes was mainly achieved through the reactive oxygen species, whereas the recognition of pollutants primarily depended on the reactions of iron-based nanozymes, such as colour development, fluorescence, and chemiluminescence. Finally, we highlight the challenges and future prospects for the application of iron-based nanozymes in water environments. In summary, this paper systematically summaries and discusses the common synthesis methods of iron-based nanozymes and their applications in the aquatic environment, with a view to providing new ideas for overcoming the limitations of traditional pollutant detection and removal methods and realising the high-quality development of iron-based nanozymes in water environment.
