Chapter 10 - Water pollution

Abstract

Water treatment is the process that enhances the quality of water through eliminating unsuitable contaminants or lowering their concentration in order to achieve much safer water for exact final use inclusive of river flow maintenance, irrigation, water recreation, drinking, industrial water supply, or other usages. It is to transform wastewater into an effluent that can be further put back into the water cycle with a slight effect on the environment or directly reused, which can also be called water reclamation. The treatment process occurs in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), often known as a water resource recovery facility (WRRF) or a sewage treatment plant. In this section, both water treatment and wastewater treatment will be described, whereby the majority of the development of technological applications is used. Ensuring there is clean and affordable water to cater for human needs is a big challenge of the 21st century. Globally, water supply fights to keep up with the expanding demand that is aggravated by population growth, global climate change, and the weakening of water quality. To enhance treatment efficiency and the water supply through ensuring safe use of unconventional water sources, nanotechnology possesses a significant possibility in advancing water and wastewater treatment. Here, this paper analyzes the present advancements in nanotechnology for water and wastewater treatment. The discussion focuses on candidate nanomaterials, mechanisms, and characteristics that enhance the applications, limitations, and benefits, as related to the present processes, barriers, and research commercialization requirements. Through identifying these technological developments, the current analysis outlines the opportunities of the physicochemical features of nanomaterials and their limitations to further capitalize on these unique features for attaining water management sustainability.