Abstract

Emerging contaminants (ECs), a series of relatively low-concentration but high-toxicity pollutants, posing significant risks to ecosystems and potential repercussions on human health through food chains. Adsorption has emerged as a promising method for effectively removing ECs, offering operational simplicity, versatility, and environmentally friendliness. Recent endeavors have focused on novel adsorbent materials derived from natural sources, with particular attention directed toward amyloid protein nanofibrils (APNs) due to their diverse functional groups, abundant availability, mild preparation methods, and tunable characteristics. This work first provided a comprehensive overview about the potentials and perspectives of APNs as novel adsorbents for ECs removal. Initially, the relationship between the preparation and adsorption capacities of APNs was thoroughly discussed. Subsequently, the adsorption capacities of APNs for typical ECs, composing persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceutical and personal care products, microplastics, metal nanoparticles, and antimicrobial resistance, were summarized. Meanwhile, potential adsorption mechanisms driven by diverse functional groups and residues on the APN surface, including supramolecular chelation, electrostatic attractions, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and β-sheet affinity, were explored. In addition, the main challenges and proposed future research directions centered on developing waste-to-protein technology as low-cost protein sources, enhancing selection and regeneration, achieving in-situ degradation of adsorbed ECs, and molecular structural analysis were addressed. This review would enhance an in-depth understanding of APNs adsorption behaviors for ECs removal, and provide a promising and sustainable for eliminating environmental risks associated with ECs.