Review of Application of Nanotechnology in Remediation of Polluted Soil and Water

Nanotechnology refers to a field of applied science whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale, creating new functions due to the small size of the structures, generally 100 nanometers or smaller. It involves developing materials or devices within that size. This technology is thus not a homogeneous area, but a multi-disciplinary range of diverse technological fields, each of which involves the utilization of nanoscale structures or materials. As applications of nanotechnology develop over time, they have the potential to help shrink the human footprint on the environment. This is important, because over the next 50 years, the world’s population is expected to grow 50%, global economic activity is expected to grow 500%, and global energy and materials use is expected to grow 300% (World Resources Institute, 2000). The potential impact areas for nanotechnology can be divided into three categories, viz. treatment and remediation, sensing and detection, as well as pollution prevention (Masciangioli et al., 2003). Research related to the application of this technology in remediation of soil and water is still at its infancy as compared to other remediation methods. Kanel et al., (2005) investigated removal of arsenic (III) from groundwater by using graded concentrations of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and reported the removal of arsenic to the extent of 80% within very short period. Similarly, this nanomaterial has shown potential for remediation of soils contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, halogenated (Cl, Br) methanes, chlorinated benzenes and ethanes, certain pesticides, polychlorinated hydrocarbons, trinitrotoluene, dyes, nitrate, perchlorate, dichromate, arsenate etc. (Zhang, 2003; Chang and Kang, 2009; Sreekumaran and Pradeep, 2007). With the many hi-tech functions of nanotechnology, environmental remediation would seemingly prove a place to find many applications of nanotechnology.

Keywords:

Nanotechnology , Polluted soil , Polluted water , Remediation