ShodhPatra: International Journal of Science and Humanities

Green Chemistry Approaches for Wastewater Treatment: A Sustainable Framework for Environmental Remediation

The continuous discharge of untreated and partially treated wastewater has emerged as a serious environmental concern due to rapid industrial expansion, urban growth, and intensified agricultural activities. Conventional wastewater treatment methods, although widely applied, often depend on chemical-intensive processes and high energy consumption, which can generate secondary pollution and operational inefficiencies. In response to these challenges, green chemistry has emerged as a promising alternative approach that emphasizes the design of environmentally benign, energy-efficient, and cost-effective treatment systems. This study critically reviews major green chemistry-based wastewater treatment strategies, including adsorption using natural materials, biochar applications, biosorption techniques, phytoremediation systems, photocatalytic degradation, membrane-based filtration, and constructed wetlands. The analysis highlights that these approaches significantly reduce pollutant loads such as heavy metals, dyes, nutrients, and organic contaminants while minimizing environmental footprint. However, limitations related to scalability, treatment duration, and environmental dependency still restrict widespread industrial application. The study concludes that integrated hybrid systems supported by green chemistry principles represent the most promising direction for future wastewater management.