Nanotools for Irrigation Water Remediation

Abstract

Water pollution and contamination removal have become a serious problem worldwide with a gradually increasing population. Conventionally, chemical precipitation, membrane filtration, flotation, ion exchange, adsorption, coagulation–flocculation and electrochemical methods are in use for drinking and wastewater purification. Nanotechnology has become an important tool in every aspect of water and environment remediation from the past few years. The unique structure and chemical property of nanocomposites help in water purification through pollutant adsorption, photoinhibition, nanocatalystic properties, transformation in less toxic materials and pathogen inactivation. Therefore, we have divided the chapter into three formats, in which first part will be discussing on Zn, Si, Cu, Ag, Ti, Fe, Pb, Zr and other metallic nanoparticles-based nanosorbent and nanocatalysts for toxic heavy metals and pathogen removal from water. We have also summarized several studies on biopolymer-based nanofiltration technique along with nanoscale zerovalent iron (ZVI) and zeolite conjugated nanomaterials for wastewater treatment. These nanomaterials not only proved their importance in water remediation, but also their unique characters in redox and self-stimulated reactions in contamination removal putting nanotechnology in top position. The second part of the chapter briefly explained nanotechnology-based commercialized techniques in water treatment and at last, future aspects in wastewater treatment scenario also perfunctory discussed.