Pollution Control: A brief review of conventional and nano technological approaches

Abstract

Environmental pollution is one of the major crisis throughout the whole world today, causing major health problems. The contaminants are found in all the three phases of the environment. The air pollutants include CO, CFCs, VOCs, nitrogen oxides etc. Water and soil are contaminated due to sewage and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers etc. Recent advancement in the field of nanotechnology has provided new nanomaterials and methods for combatting pollution which are more effective than conventional methods. Nano technology can be used in three ways, namely, remediation and treatment, pollution prevention and detection and sensing. Remediation methods include adsorption, semiconducting material photocatalytic remediation and filtration using different types of nano materials. Nano technology provides an environment friendly solution with less waste and reduction of toxic wastes into non-toxic products. Sensing and detection of the pollutants is an important step in controlling pollution. Conventional methods need expertise, more time and are costly and these cannot give the concentrations of the pollutants instantly. On the other hand, nanosensors can detect the pollutant at ppm and ppb levels accurately due to small size and high surface/volume ratio. The enormous growth of nanotechnology during the last decade in search of new materials with enhanced and/or typical properties with wide range of applications has also produced hazardous nanowastes too. The need of the hour is to properly assess the health hazards due to engineered nanoparticles including their fabrication, storage and distribution, application and disposal.