Chapter 1 - Appraisal of nanotechnology for sustainable environmental remediation

Abstract

In this era of industrialization, environmental pollution is one of the major problems of the entire globe. Different technologies are being employed for the removal of the pollutants from both terrestrial and aquatic environments. The most commonly used technologies for environmental remediation include; filtration, adsorption, chemical reactions, photocatalysis, etc. Currently, the application of nanotechnology-based materials for environmental remediation has attained extraordinary popularity due to their unique mechanical properties, higher surface area, chemical reactivity, regeneration efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Such nanomaterials are applied for the removal of different environmental (organic or inorganic) pollutants such as dyes (anionic and cationic) from industrial sources, heavy metals in different forms, gaseous toxic compounds, etc. These nanomaterials can be categorized on the basis of their production sources (inorganic, organic, carbon-based, etc.). Presently it is a challenge to produce eco-friendly, and nontoxic nanomaterials, which can be easily disposed of after treatment of air, water, or soil. Thus, this chapter is based on the fabrication of nanomaterials from different sources and their application for sustainable environmental remediation. Further, the nanotechnology-based techniques being applied in environmental remediation will be discussed with their present advancements and future aspects.