Engineered nanomaterials integrated water treatment processes for the public health and sustainable development: A mechanistic review

Abstract

Health related problems are increasing proportionally as industrialization, urbanization and population due to intake of polluted water. Infectious diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio are most prevailing due to contaminated water and poor sanitation practices. In addition, incidences of cancer, respiratory disorders, neural toxicities and digestive issues are becoming very common due ingestion of organic, inorganic and persistent pollutants with water. Undoubtedly, existing technologies to treat industrial, and municipal wastewater are in operation but are lagging in meeting the current requirements in terms of efficiencies and volume. The multifaceted characteristics of nanomaterials have led them to hold strong in the water treatment processes such as sorption, catalysis, filtrations, and antimicrobials. Current review article emphasizes on the nano-based processes and their derived advance technologies employed for wastewater treatment in recent years. The main objective of current review article is to provide insights about nanomaterials derived water treatment processes and the underlying mechanisms exhibited by nanomaterials in pollutant removal and degradation. Nanomaterials of metal, carbon, polymer, composites etc all have been reported for the water treatment efficiencies. Review paper provides a detailed information on the nanomaterials-driven degradation, transformation and elimination process for pollutants such as metals, dyes, pharmaceutical compounds, and microbes. Furthermore, main challenges and future perspectives has also been explained in this review article. Overall, present review paper highlights the nanomaterial’s contribution to water treatment technologies with simultaneous benefit in pollution control and public health.