Water of high quality must be readily available to all living beings on the
planet. With water resources becoming scarce, the primary need of the modern period
is wastewater treatment. While there are other methods, such as adsorption,
flocculation, and filtration, they are only employed in the initial stages of wastewater
treatment. Nanomaterials (NMs) and recent advances in technology have garnered
interest in wastewater treatment. The ability of nanoparticles (NPs) to catalyze
reactions, adsorb substances, reactivity, and larger surface area makes them highly
valuable in wastewater treatment. Diverse varieties of NMs are employed to eliminate
distinct pollutants from wastewater to make it eco-friendly in use. Activated carbon,
graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal oxide NPs (e.g., TiO2
, ZnO, and iron oxides), zerovalent metal NPs (e.g., Ag, Fe, and Zn), and nanocomposites, titanium oxide, and
magnesium oxide are a few types of nanoadsorbents that are utilized in wastewater
treatment to extract heavy metals. Both organic and inorganic contaminants can be
eliminated from water using nanocatalysts, such as electrocatalysts and photocatalysts.
Special destruction or removal of some organic contaminants with the use of
semiconducting NPs, either alone or in conjunction with ozonation, the Fenton process,
or sonolysis is being done. Additionally, the topic of how well nanotechnology works
against different parameters to provide pure water in an environmentally responsible
manner is covered. The advances gained in wastewater treatment through the use of
NPs are the main concerns of this chapter.
Keywords: Contaminants, Metal NPs, Metal oxide NPs, Nanocatalysts, Nanocomposites, Nanotechnology, Wastewater treatment.
