Nanomaterials for Chemical—Biological — Physical Integrity of Potable Water

Abstract

Water in general is ubiquitous facilitator for sustaining life. With ever increasing population worldwide and consumption of enormous energy, the water supplies continue to deteriorate in quality. Major contributing factors include outdated water treatment systems; unbalanced supply-chain management; non-uniform waste discharge regulations; and increased industrialization and urbanization worldwide. Hence, it is extremely important to monitor, control, and maintain ‘water quality’ — typically defined as physical, chemical and biological characteristics of potable water in relationship to a set of standards. In an attempt to develop a uniform standard for water quality and to provide safe drinking water worldwide, advances in nanoscale materials devices and systems are utilized to evaluate chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of water and remediate sediments, contaminants, and disease vectors. Furthermore, interaction of nanomaterials with its environment is crucial to understand for developing remediation strategies. A matrix of parameters that governs interaction of nanomaterials with their environments is discussed in context of evaluating chemical, biological, and physical integrity of drinking water.