Water is essential in all aspects
of life, being the defining characteristic
of our planet and even our body. Regrettably, water pollution is increasingly
becoming a challenge due to novel anthropogenic pollutants. Of particular
concern are emerging organic contaminants (EOCs), the term used not
only to cover newly developed compounds but also compounds newly discovered
as contaminants in the environment. Aside from anthropogenic contamination,
higher temperature and more extreme and less predictable weather conditions
are projected to affect water availability and distribution. Therefore,
wastewater treatment has to become a valuable water resource and its
reuse is an important issue that must be carried out efficiently.
Among the novel technologies considered in water remediation processes,
metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as promising materials
for the elimination of EOCs since they present many properties that
commend them in water treatment: large surface area, easy functionalizable
cavities, some are stable in water, and synthesized at large scale,
etc. This review highlights the advances in the use of MOFs in the
elimination (adsorption and/or degradation) of EOCs from water, classifying
them by the nature of the contaminant.