Common methodologies for treating environmental issues with nanomaterials

Abstract

With rapid industrialisation and population growth, the Earths ecological environment now confronts increasingly complex and diverse challenges. Traditional pollution treatment methods, such as activated sludge for sewage and electrostatic precipitation for air pollution, can effectively manage most environmental pollution. However, some pollutants (e.g. metals, organic dyes, gaseous trace pollutants in heavy water) either cannot be addressed by conventional methods or are prohibitively expensive. Hence, there is a pressing need to develop new environmental technologies. The emergence and development of nanotechnology and nanoscience present novel opportunities for environmental governance, as nanomaterials offer advantageous traits such as high specific surface area, catalytic activity, and photocatalytic activity. This renders nanomaterials better adsorbents, catalysts, and sensors compared to traditional materials. This article examines three methods - adsorption, filtration, and degradation - through which nanomaterials can be utilised to address environmental challenges, and the advantages and disadvantages of such methods are discussed. Finally, this article provides insights in response to the findings presented.