Nanotechnology for Sustainable Environment

Abstract

Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural activities have caused increasing contamination of water, soil, and air by heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, and other pollutants. Conventional remediation methods often have limitations such as high operational costs, lower efficiency, and secondary pollution. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach for sustainable environmental remediation due to the unique physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, including high surface area, enhanced reactivity, tunable surface chemistry, and excellent adsorption and catalytic capabilities. This review discusses major nanomaterials, including metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, and polymeric nanocomposites, and their applications in water treatment, soil remediation, air purification, desalination, and pollutant removal. Important remediation mechanisms such as adsorption, photocatalysis, catalytic reduction, and membrane filtration are also discussed. Despite their potential, challenges related to nanoparticle toxicity, environmental risks, production costs, scalability, and commercialization remain. Developing safer, reusable, cost-effective, and environmentally compatible nanomaterials is essential for sustainable future applications.

KEYWORDS: Nanotechnology; Environmental Remediation; Nanomaterials; Photocatalysis; Adsorption; Water Treatment; Heavy Metals.