Chapter 10 - Application of metal-based nanoparticles for metal removal for treatments of wastewater -- a review

Abstract

Contamination of water is a main worldwide problem as it causes irremediable damage to humans, animals, soils, and plants and spreads various epidemics and chronic diseases. Elimination of pollutants in wastewater, including heavy metals, get to be a plain problem around the globe. Several technologies have been established to compact with this crisis. As a developing technology, nanotechnology has been attaining growing attention and numerous nanosize materials have been established to take away heavy metals from contaminated wastewater, due to their outstanding adsorbent surface resulting from the nanosize effect. In this work, novel nanomaterials of metal and metaloxide, such as silver nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, manganese oxides, aluminum oxides, titanium oxides, zinc oxides, cerium oxides, zirconium oxides based nanomaterials and their applications for the elimination of toxic heavy metal ions from wastewater were scientifically reviewed. Their specific affinity, efficiency, limitations, and advantages were compared and discussed. Furthermore, their physicochemical properties, adsorption characteristics and mechanism, factor influencing adsorption as well as the potential perspective of nanometal materials in the environmental appliance was also discussed and prospective information for potential work was recommended.