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.