485
environmental impacts associated with society’s huge production
industries.
General remediation and Treatment
Many measures seek to mitigate the effects of pollutants already
present or recently generated. Treatment measures normally focus
on transforming pollutants or other contaminants that are emitted
from a source into less harmful products, such as common catalytic
converters in automobiles designed to reduce harmful emissions
from engines. Remediation measures focus on trying to correct
problems that are often longstanding. Many soil remediation
efforts, for example, try to address problems with contaminated
sites from old industrial locations. Many kinds of treatment and
remediation procedures and devices are in use today. Several of the
more pertinent in relation to air and water environments are discussed in more detail here.
The particular properties of many nanomaterials offer several
broad avenues for improving treatment and remediation techniques. One approach that we’ll discuss more later is through
catalytic conversion that transforms contaminants from one form
to another. Catalytic nanomaterials can be activated in several
ways. Many photocatalytic materials that are activated by light
are and can be used to transform contaminants, such as titanium
dioxide or zinc oxide. They can be relatively inexpensive and thus
suitable for widespread use in air, water, and other hosts. Some
ongoing research is directed toward finding ways to increase relative surface areas of nanoparticles that may be already large but
that could be increased more by various surface manipulations,
thus further increasing their surface reactivities. If successful,
efforts to increase sensitivity of photocatalytic nanoparticles to a
broader spectrum of light (beyond the UV) could vastly improve
efficiencies.
Other kinds of nanoparticles are being explored for their use in
relation to specific environmental contaminants, including hydrocarbons. Targeted metallic composite nanoparticles for transforming
harmful PCBs or pesticides, for example, are being explored—
such as various iron-silver for PCBs. Iron-based nanoparticles can
help reduce many problematic contaminants, including nitrates.
Nanoporous materials of several types have clear applications in
air and water cleaning (see the following discussion). Several nanomaterial formulations, including nanotubes, appear to be useful
as adsorbents of one type or another and may prove better than
Environmental Benefits and Impacts
environmental impacts associated with society’s huge production
industries.
General remediation and Treatment
Many measures seek to mitigate the effects of pollutants already
present or recently generated. Treatment measures normally focus
on transforming pollutants or other contaminants that are emitted
from a source into less harmful products, such as common catalytic
converters in automobiles designed to reduce harmful emissions
from engines. Remediation measures focus on trying to correct
problems that are often longstanding. Many soil remediation
efforts, for example, try to address problems with contaminated
sites from old industrial locations. Many kinds of treatment and
remediation procedures and devices are in use today. Several of the
more pertinent in relation to air and water environments are discussed in more detail here.
The particular properties of many nanomaterials offer several
broad avenues for improving treatment and remediation techniques. One approach that we’ll discuss more later is through
catalytic conversion that transforms contaminants from one form
to another. Catalytic nanomaterials can be activated in several
ways. Many photocatalytic materials that are activated by light
are and can be used to transform contaminants, such as titanium
dioxide or zinc oxide. They can be relatively inexpensive and thus
suitable for widespread use in air, water, and other hosts. Some
ongoing research is directed toward finding ways to increase relative surface areas of nanoparticles that may be already large but
that could be increased more by various surface manipulations,
thus further increasing their surface reactivities. If successful,
efforts to increase sensitivity of photocatalytic nanoparticles to a
broader spectrum of light (beyond the UV) could vastly improve
efficiencies.
Other kinds of nanoparticles are being explored for their use in
relation to specific environmental contaminants, including hydrocarbons. Targeted metallic composite nanoparticles for transforming
harmful PCBs or pesticides, for example, are being explored—
such as various iron-silver for PCBs. Iron-based nanoparticles can
help reduce many problematic contaminants, including nitrates.
Nanoporous materials of several types have clear applications in
air and water cleaning (see the following discussion). Several nanomaterial formulations, including nanotubes, appear to be useful
as adsorbents of one type or another and may prove better than
Environmental Benefits and Impacts