pollutants in water is the major concern in the environment (Leonard et al. 2003;
Hutton et al. 2007). The rapid development of industries such as batteries, metal
plating, mining operation, fertilizers, tanneries, and pesticides (World Health Organization and UNICEF 2013; L’vovich 1979).
Nanotechnology is the emerging technology, which meets the above problem.
Nanomaterials used for the preconcentration and separation of environment
pollutants from various environmental samples such as water, soil, and environment.
The nanomaterials have atoms and molecules joining to create material with extraordinary physical and chemical properties. The application of nanomaterials in water
and waste water treatment has drawn wide role in water purification and remediation.
This is due to the unique properties of nanomaterials such as small size and thus large
specific surface area, strong adsorption capacity, and high reactivity (Postel et al.
1996; Gleick, and Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and
Security,ÁStockholm Environment Institute 1993; Shiklomanov 2000; Seckler et al.
2003; El-Dessouky and Ettouney 2002).
Nanotechnology and nanomaterials play important role for waste water treatment
due to their high surface area and high reactivity. With the ever increasing population, the water resources get polluted by industrial effluents and burden our society.
Nanomaterials provide more application in water purification by different techniques
like adsorption, membranes and membrane process, photocatalyst, disinfection and
microbial control, sensing and monitoring. Nanotechnology it is the manipulation of
materials and process that are engineered to the molecular scale of 1–100 nm and by
the bottom-up approach significance improve in the efficiency of waste water
treatment. The physical and chemical modification of nanomaterials improve the
sensitivity and selectivity (Shannon et al. 2008; Brumfiel 2003). Nanomaterials are
the drivers of the nanotechnology revolution and a key bottleneck to the applications
of nanotechnology to solve this world water crisis. Nanomaterials have a number of
key physicochemical properties that make them particularly attractive as separation
media for water purification. On a mass basis, they have much large surface areas
than bulk particles. Nanomaterials can also be functionalized with various chemical
groups to increase their affinity toward a given compound. They can also serve as
high capacity/selectivity and recyclable legends for toxic metal ions, organic and
inorganic solutes/anions in aqueous solutions (Cloete 2010). Nanomaterials also
provide unprecedented opportunities to develop more efficient water-purification
catalysts due to their large surface areas and their size and shape-dependent optical,
electronic and catalytic properties.
Water is the most essential important commodities of life which is required for
survival of living beings as well as for food preparation, processing, and sanitation.
But unfortunately, about half of billion people have to face water scarcity in various
countries like India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, and arid and
semi-arid regions of the USA. This water scarcity problem spreads a number of
preventable diseases like legionellosis, hepatitis, malaria, and dengue. Due to global
warming, there is constant increase in the salinity of land water as well as sea water
and this also causes the scarcity of drinking water. One of the major problems in
water pollution is as water is the universal solvent it dissolves all kinds of
74
A. Kaur
Hutton et al. 2007). The rapid development of industries such as batteries, metal
plating, mining operation, fertilizers, tanneries, and pesticides (World Health Organization and UNICEF 2013; L’vovich 1979).
Nanotechnology is the emerging technology, which meets the above problem.
Nanomaterials used for the preconcentration and separation of environment
pollutants from various environmental samples such as water, soil, and environment.
The nanomaterials have atoms and molecules joining to create material with extraordinary physical and chemical properties. The application of nanomaterials in water
and waste water treatment has drawn wide role in water purification and remediation.
This is due to the unique properties of nanomaterials such as small size and thus large
specific surface area, strong adsorption capacity, and high reactivity (Postel et al.
1996; Gleick, and Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and
Security,ÁStockholm Environment Institute 1993; Shiklomanov 2000; Seckler et al.
2003; El-Dessouky and Ettouney 2002).
Nanotechnology and nanomaterials play important role for waste water treatment
due to their high surface area and high reactivity. With the ever increasing population, the water resources get polluted by industrial effluents and burden our society.
Nanomaterials provide more application in water purification by different techniques
like adsorption, membranes and membrane process, photocatalyst, disinfection and
microbial control, sensing and monitoring. Nanotechnology it is the manipulation of
materials and process that are engineered to the molecular scale of 1–100 nm and by
the bottom-up approach significance improve in the efficiency of waste water
treatment. The physical and chemical modification of nanomaterials improve the
sensitivity and selectivity (Shannon et al. 2008; Brumfiel 2003). Nanomaterials are
the drivers of the nanotechnology revolution and a key bottleneck to the applications
of nanotechnology to solve this world water crisis. Nanomaterials have a number of
key physicochemical properties that make them particularly attractive as separation
media for water purification. On a mass basis, they have much large surface areas
than bulk particles. Nanomaterials can also be functionalized with various chemical
groups to increase their affinity toward a given compound. They can also serve as
high capacity/selectivity and recyclable legends for toxic metal ions, organic and
inorganic solutes/anions in aqueous solutions (Cloete 2010). Nanomaterials also
provide unprecedented opportunities to develop more efficient water-purification
catalysts due to their large surface areas and their size and shape-dependent optical,
electronic and catalytic properties.
Water is the most essential important commodities of life which is required for
survival of living beings as well as for food preparation, processing, and sanitation.
But unfortunately, about half of billion people have to face water scarcity in various
countries like India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, and arid and
semi-arid regions of the USA. This water scarcity problem spreads a number of
preventable diseases like legionellosis, hepatitis, malaria, and dengue. Due to global
warming, there is constant increase in the salinity of land water as well as sea water
and this also causes the scarcity of drinking water. One of the major problems in
water pollution is as water is the universal solvent it dissolves all kinds of
74
A. Kaur