Nanotechnology in decontamination

Abstract

Currently, accessibility of clean water is one of the biggest challenges faced by international society. The emerging field of nanotechnology and its applications has great potential for providing sustainable solutions to this vital problem. Nanomaterials have numerous significant physicochemical properties that may allow them to serve as an interesting and novel separation media for water treatment. Most importantly, nanoparticles have larger surface areas than bulk particles and are easy to functionalize. These two qualities make nanoparticles as great building blocks for sorbents material allowing them to be easily manipulated in order to enhance adsorption affinity and selectivity. Nanotechnology can be used to obtain highly efficient and reusable ligands for cations, anions, radionuclides, and organic compounds. The present study highlights the different types of nanotechnologies intended for the treatment of water and wastewater and their potential benefits when compared with conventional solutions for water decontamination.