Nanoparticles as Sustainable Environmental Remediation Agents

The expanding use of nanoparticles in a wide range of applications has brought to light the need to adopt an integrated approach regarding their synthesis, use, recovery and handling. This book covers the intense research field of nanoparticle utilization as remediation agents for toxic pollutants, and pays special attention to their post-application recovery, the monitoring of their fate when released, and life cycle analysis. The reader may therefore evaluate the prospects and limitations of these technologies through the prism of sustainability demands. Several chapters summarize successful applications of single or multi-phase nanoparticles for drinking water purification, wastewater and gas-stream treatment and soil consolidation. Importantly, they evaluate the potential scale-up for real-world applications that need to compete with traditional treatment methods. However, the risk of uncontrolled release into the environment can be a significant drawback to the extended use of nanoparticles. For this reason, a detailed analysis is given to aspects of their post-use recycling and regeneration, determination of release pathways, risk assessment methods and life cycle evaluation studies, highlighting the importance of preventing the unintended release of nanoparticles into the environment. This book will be a valuable resource for anyone looking at the development of nanoparticles with a view to environmental remediation strategies.