NANOMATERIALS MEDIATED WATER TREATMENT

Abstract

With the advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials, research in the field of environmental nanotechnology and environmental remediation, which is the area of use, has also increased. Environmental remediation is based on the elimination of contaminants from a specific environment, such as water, soil, and air, using various technologies. At this point, water is one of the most valuable resources for life, but it is limited. 97.5% of the world’s water resources are saltwater and 2/3 of the remaining 2.5% form glaciers. This means that only 0.5% of the world’s water resources are suitable for live consumption, so according to the World Health Organization, around 780 million people worldwide are not able to access available water resources and consumable water. The use of nanotechnology in water treatment, which is a solution to the increasing water pollution and the difficulty of access to clean water as consumption increases, is both possible and cost-effective with less material. The water, which is not suitable for use by energy and pressure through a membrane with small pores even from viruses created with materials such as carbon-based nano-adsorbents, polymeric nano-adsorbents and nano metal oxides used in nontechnological water treatment, is released free from bacteria, viruses and other particles. This process takes place in a very short time compared to other water treatment methods. A deficiency of this process is that the formed membranes are trapped inside the membrane by the materials that prevent them from passing through the use and duration, and therefore the membrane is clogged and even the bacteria grow inside the membrane. In a study conducted as a solution to this disadvantage, the space between the materials in the membrane has been increased and a small amount of electrical energy has been used, so that bacteria and viruses within the membrane are eliminated by electrical force, allowing the water to pass through the membrane faster, and also less pressure and therefore less energy requirement. Through the agency of these approaches and developing nanotechnology applications, vital steps can be taken in developing clean water and developing dirty water treatment systems. In this chapter, water treatment process is explained in detail by using nanotechnology. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.