Abstract Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers has led to increased nitrate concentrations in groundwater that pose a threat to human health, via nitrate-contaminated potable water, and contribute to eutrophication. The elimination of nitrate from water systems has been thoroughly examined; however, unconventional and low-cost technologies are greatly needed. Clays and clay minerals are widely-used for environmental applications, mostly due to their non-toxicity, worldwide abundance, low cost and physicochemical properties (high surface area, ion exchange capacity, high sorption and catalytic properties). Most are used for the degradation of cationic pollutants, nevertheless, they can be equally efficient at anionic decontamination, depending on the modification process they have undergone, or the materials they are combined with. This review aims to assemble the available literature research on the application of clays and clay minerals as well as the mechanisms that lead to successful removal of nitrate from water. The main characteristics of clays and clay minerals in nitrate uptake are evaluated and the known shortcomings of their application discussed, leading to suggestions for further research.

中文翻译：

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粘土、粘土矿物和粘土基材料在去除水系统中硝酸盐方面的作用：综述

摘要 过量使用含氮肥料导致地下水中硝酸盐浓度增加，通过硝酸盐污染的饮用水对人类健康构成威胁，并导致富营养化。彻底检查了从水系统中去除硝酸盐的情况；然而，非常需要非常规和低成本的技术。粘土和粘土矿物被广泛用于环境应用，主要是由于它们的无毒、全球丰富、低成本和物理化学特性（高表面积、离子交换能力、高吸附和催化特性）。大多数用于阳离子污染物的降解，然而，它们在阴离子去污方面同样有效，这取决于它们经历的改性过程或它们结合的材料。本综述旨在汇集有关粘土和粘土矿物应用的现有文献研究以及成功去除水中硝酸盐的机制。评估了粘土和粘土矿物在硝酸盐吸收方面的主要特征，并讨论了它们应用的已知缺点，从而为进一步研究提出了建议。