NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR
WATER TREATMENT
Contents:
1. Nanotechnology.
2. Nanomaterials in water treatment system.
3. Products in market.
4. Risks, challenges and opportunities.
5. Conclusion.
6. References.
NANOTECHNLOGY
> Deals with manufacturing or manipulation of materials at nanoscale(10 -9m).
> Has applications in many different fields, like electronics, medical, energy sector, environmental
remediation.
> Being evaluated in water treatment processes in recent years
> Materials having nanoscale dimensions referred to as Nanomaterials.
>
FULLERENES
Composed entirely of Carbon.
Spherical, Ellipsoid or Tube shaped
Spherical fullerenes – Bucky balls.
Tubular fullerenes – Nanotubes.
Carbon nanotubes. Buckyball
NANOPARTICLES
Metallic, ceramic or inorganic.
Dimensions 1-100nm.
Large surface area, very reactive.
Exhibit interesting mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical
properties.
Borosilicate glass nanoparticles.
Borosilicate glass nanoparticles.
ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
NANOMATERIALS IN WATER TREATMENT
SYSTEMS
1.Nanofilters:
Made of carbon nanotubes.
Pore size: 0.0001-0.001μm.
Can remove virus, bacteria, suspended solids,
large multivalent ions, dissolved organics,
herbiscides, pesticides etc.
Greater efficiency compared to microfilters and
ultrafilters.
Energy usage – Low.
Operating cost – Rs. 10-20 per 1000 liters. [2]
Nanofilter.
Useful in desalination operations. Being used for Developed by Argonne National
desalination in Israel & certain U.S. Laboratory [3]
Municipalities notably Long Beach, California
Municipal Water District.[1]
Seawater Desalination – The Long Beach Method[4]
Seawater filtered to remove suspended solids.
Stage 1: Filtered seawater pumped under high
Energy savings:
pressure through nanofiltration membrane.
Only smallest 12% of salt molecules pass Traditional desalination
through method pressure required
for pumping: 1000pounds
per square inch(psi).
Stage 2: Water from Stage 1 is pumped under
lower pressure through second nanofiltration Long Beach Method:
Membrane. 525psi first stage, 250psi
Blocks passage of almost all remaining salts. second stage.
High quality potable water produced.
Energy savings: 20-30%
Pilot plant running from 2001.
2.Nanosorbents:
Used majorly in water remediation. For removing
inorganic and organic pollutants, from contaminated
water.
Nanoparticles used as sorbents.
Nanoparticles can be functionalized with various
chemical groups to increase their affinity towards
target compounds.
Nanocrystalline zeolites can remediate water
containing cationic species such as ammonium and
heavy metals. As well chemicals like 137Cs and 90Sr. [5].
Magnetic nanoparticles bind with contaminants , such
as oil and arsenic and removed using a magnet.
3. Nanocatalysts & redox active nanoparticles:
Nanoparticles serve as catalysts.
Chemically degrade pollutants.
Scientists from IISc, Bangalore-India are evaluating immobilized
nano titanium-dioxide particles for degrading organic as well
inorganic pollutants.[6]
Nanoscale zerovalent Fe0 & bimetallic Fe0 detoxify organic &
inorganic pollutants in aqueous solutions.
Fe0, Fe0/Pt0, Fe0/Pd0, Fe0/Ag0, Fe0/Ni0, Fe0/Co0 can reduce chlorinated
alkanes, alkenes, chlorinated benzenes, pesticides, organic dyes,
nitro aromatics, nitrates to less toxic and recalcitrant byproducts. [7]
4.Bioactive nanoparticles:
Being evaluated to decrease use of chemical reagents used
for disinfection.
MgO nanoparticles effective against Gram-positive and
Gram-negative bacteria.[8]
Silver nanoparticles found effective against both Gram
positive and negative. Especially, Staphylococcus aureus,
E.coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Two products in India utilizing Bioactive
nanoparticles
TATA Swach Eureka –Forbes AquaSure.
[9]
PRODUCTS IN MARKET
Product How it works Importance Developers
Nanorust to remove Magnetic India, Bangladesh Rice University,
arscenic nanoparticles of iron and other developing United States.
oxide suspended in countries suffer
water bind arscenic, thousands of cases of
which is then arscenic poisoning
removed with a each year, linked to
magnet poisoning of wells.
Desalination A combination of Already in the University of
membrane polymers and market, this California, Los
nanoparticles that membrane enables Angeles and
draws in water ions desalination with NanoH2O
and repels dissolved lower energy costs
salts. than reverse osmosis.
Product How it works Importance Developers
Nanofiltration Membrane made up of Field tested to treat Sachen Industries,
Membrane polymers with a pore drinking water in China Korea.
size ranging from 0.1- and desalinate water in
10nm Iran. Using this membrane
requires less enrgy than
reverse osmosis.
Nanomesh waterstick A straw like filtration The waterstick cleans the Seldon Laboratories
device that uses carbon water as it is drunk. , United States.
nanotubes plaed on a Doctors in Africa are using
flexible, porous a prototype and the final
material. product is said to be
available at an affordable
cost in developing
countries.
Product How it works Importance Developers
World Filter Filter using a Designed specifically for KX Industries, US
nanofibre layer, made the household or
up of polymers, community level use in
resins, ceramics and developing countries. The
other materials that filters are effective, easy to
remove contaminants. use and require no
maintenance.
Pesticide Filter Filter using Pesticides are often found in Indian Institute of
nanosilver to adsorb the developing countries Technology,
and then degrade water supply. This pesticide Chennai, India and
three pesticides filter can provide a typical Eureka Forbes
commonly found in Indian household with 6000 Limited, India.
the Indian water liters of clean water in one
supplies. year.
RISKS , CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Potential health and environmental risks.
Integration of nanomaterials into existing
water purification systems.
Availability and cost.
CONCLUSION
Already showing promising results.
Once certain impending hurdles are overcome,
will define the modern water purification
systems.
Proper studies are to be carried out to assess
any harmful effects on environment and living
beings.
References:
1. John Loncto, Marlan Walker and Lynn Foster(2007). Nanotechnology
in Water Industry.Nanotechnology Law and Business, June 2007, pp:
157-159.
2. Peter S. Cartwright. Nanofiltration, When it works for the whole
house. URL: http://www.wcponline.com /pdf/Nano.pdf.
3. O.V. Makarova, C-M. Tang, P. Amstutz, R. Divan, A. Imre, D.C.
Mancini, M. Hoffbauer, and T. Williamson, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, 27,
2585-2587 (2009). URL:
http://nano.anl.gov/news/highlights/2009_nanofilters.html.
4. Long Beach 90H2O(2010).URL:
http://www.lbwater.org/pdf/desal_lbmethod.pdf
5. www.safewater.org/PDFS/.../Ultrafiltration_Nano_ReverseOsm.pdf .
6. Katherine Watlington for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Emerging Nanotechnologies for Site Remediation and Wastewater
Treatment. August 2005, pg 35.
References…..
6. Ashok Raichur . Nanoscale water treatment needs innovative engineering. 6
May 2009. URL:
http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/nanotechnology-for-clean-water
/opinions/nanoscale-water-treatment-needs-innovative-enginee.html
7. Zhang W.X. 2003, Nanoscale iron particles for environmental remediation.
J .Nanoport. Res.5, pp323-332.
8. Stoimenov P.K., R.L. Klinger, G.L. Marchin & K.J. Klabunde, 2002. Metal
oxide nanoparticles as bactericidal agents. Langmuir 2002, 18, pp 6679-
6686.
9. David Grenshaw(2009).Nanotechnology for clean water treatment: Facts
and figures. 6-May-2009. URL:www.SciDirect.net.
