Applications and implications of carbon nanotubes for the sequestration of organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2023-12, Vol.30 (60), p.124934-124949
• Main Authors: Majumder, Satwik, Dhara, Bikram, Mitra, Arup Kumar, Dey, Satarupa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Agricultural industry; Antifouling substances; Aquatic environment; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carbon; Carbon-based Nanomaterials: Systematic Enumeration and Proficient Template for Detection and Remediation of Hazardous Pollutants; Catalytic activity; Climate change; Contaminants; Dermal absorption; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollutants; Food industry; Heavy metals; Ingestion; Inhalation; Inorganic compounds; Inorganic contaminants; Magnetic properties; Metals, Heavy; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon - toxicity; Optical properties; Organic Chemicals; Persistent organic pollutants; Photocatalysis; Pollutants; Respiration; Risk assessment; Safety regulations; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater; Wastewater management; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25431-9

The rapid growth in the population, industrial developments, and climate change over the century have contributed to a significant rise in aquatic pollution leading to a scarcity of clean, reliable, and sustainable water sources and supply. Exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption of organic/inorganic compounds such as heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) discharged from municipalities, hospitals, textile industries, food, and agricultural sectors has caused adverse health outcomes in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Owing to the high surface area, photocatalytic activity, antimicrobial, antifouling, optical, electronic, and magnetic properties, the application of nanotechnology offers unique opportunities in advanced wastewater management strategies over traditional approaches. Carbon nanomaterials and associated composites such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) buckypaper membranes have demonstrated efficiency in adsorption, photocatalytic activity, and filtration of contaminants and thus show immense potentiality in wastewater management. This review focuses on the application of CNTs in the sequestration of organic and inorganic contaminants from the aquatic environment. It also sheds light on the aquatic pollutant desorption processes, current safety regulations, and toxic responses associated with CNTs. Critical knowledge gaps involving CNT synthesis, surface modification processes, CNT-environment interactions, and risk assessments are further identified and discussed.