Nano Today
Applications FeatureNanotechnologies for environmental cleanup
Section snippets
Ex situ nanotechnology
A prominent example of a nanotechnology for contaminant remediation by adsorption is known as self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports (SAMMS)6. SAMMS are created by self-assembly of a monolayer of functionalized surfactants onto mesoporous ceramic supports, resulting in very high surface areas (∼1000 m2/g) with adsorptive properties that can be tuned to target contaminants such as mercury, chromate, arsenate, pertechnetate, and selenite. Dendritic polymers are another type of
In situ nanotechnology
In situ degradation of contaminants, when feasible, is often preferred over other approaches because it has the potential to be more cost effective. However, in situ remediation requires delivery of the treatment to the contamination and this has proven to be a major obstacle to expanded development of in situ remediation technologies. With respect to this issue, nanotechnology has special relevance because of the potential for injecting nanosized (reactive or absorptive) particles into
Morphology
Various definitions have been given for ‘nanosize’, but most invoke (or imply) the notion that there is a size regime between that of molecules and materials where particles have properties that are unique, or at least qualitatively different than those of larger particles. The most compelling examples of such properties arise only for particles smaller than ∼10 nm, where particle size approaches the length-scale of certain molecular properties20. One such example is that of quantum
Risks
The above discussion of the morphology, reactivity, and mobility of nanoparticles in the context of environmental remediation demonstrates that our current understanding of the basic processes involved in this technology is still evolving and incomplete. In addition to making it difficult to move forward with the engineering of full-scale implementations, these uncertainties make it very difficult to assess the risks that this technology might have to human or ecological health35. Specifically
Acknowledgments
We thank Donald R. Baer of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Gregory V. Lowry of Carnegie Mellon University for their thoughtful comments on this manuscript. Funding for our work in this area has come from the US Department of Energy, the Strategic and Environmental Research and Development Program, and the US Department of Education.
References (39)
- et al.
Comptes Rendus Chimie
(2003) J. Nanoparticle Res.
(2003)- et al.
Colloids Surf.
(1996) Water Res.
(1995)The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan
(2004)The National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan, Supplement to the President's 2006 Budget
(2005)- et al.
Environ. Sci. Technol.
(2003) Curr. Microbiol.
(2002)Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Environ. Sci. Technol.
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.
Chem. Rev.
J. Environ. Sci. Health
Crit. Rev. Solid State Mater. Sci.
Environ. Sci. Technol.
Environ. Sci. Technol.
Chemical Degradation Methods for Wastes and Pollutants: Environmental and Industrial Applications
Permeable Reactive Barriers: Lessons Learned/New Directions
Cited by (679)
Isotopic evidence (δ<sup>13</sup>C, δ<sup>37</sup>Cl, δ<sup>2</sup>H) for distinct transformation mechanisms of chloroform: Catalyzed H<inf>2</inf>-water system vs. zero-valent iron (ZVI)
2023, Journal of Environmental Chemical EngineeringReview on bioremediation technologies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil: Mechanisms and future perspective
2023, International Biodeterioration and BiodegradationEnvironmental safety of nanotechnologies: The eco-design of manufactured nanomaterials for environmental remediation
2023, Science of the Total EnvironmentHigh-efficiency removal of organic pollutants by visible-light-driven tubular heterogeneous micromotors through a photocatalytic Fenton process
2023, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science