A brief overview of the potential environmental hazards of ionic liquids

• Review on the potential risks linked to the application of ionic liquids.
• Methods of preparation and (bio)degradation of ionic liquids.
• Environmental fate and toxicity of ionic liquids.
• Future directions in designing inherently safer ionic liquids.

Over past decades ionic liquids, a promising alternative to traditional organic solvents, have been dramatically expanding in popularity as a new generation of chemicals with potential uses in various areas in industry. In the literature these compounds have often been referred to as environmentally friendly; however, in recent years the perception of their greenness dramatically changed as the scientific community began to proactively assess the risk of their application based on the entire life-cycle. This review gives a brief overview of the current knowledge regarding the potential risks linked to the application of ionic liquids – from preparation to their disposal, with special emphasis on their potential environmental impacts and future directions in designing inherently safer ionic liquids.