Posted by Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as ‘forever pollutants’ due to their very high stability in ecosystems, are industrial contaminants of emerging health concern commonly found in water. Remediation is particularly challenging because existing water and wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove these pollutants. In this review methods for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are evaluated, with focus on the use of cyclodextrins compared to the classical methods and adsorbents such as granular activated carbons, ion exchange resins, advanced oxidation processes, electrochemical degradation, metal–organic frameworks, and membrane filtration. Cyclodextrin-based materials include cross-linked compounds, molecularly imprinted polymers, covalent organic frameworks, and silica hybrids. Cyclodextrins-based materials are much more efficient for the remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, because these cage molecules can be designed to recognize specifically pollutants. As a consequence, cyclodextrins-based materials display much higher adsorption coefficients, in the range of 104—106 L per Kg, compared to less than 104 L per Kg for activated carbon.
Lacalamita, D., Mongioví, C., Crini, G. et al. Cyclodextrins for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: a review. Environ Chem Lett 23, 1713–1743 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-025-01868-x