Nanotechnology Solutions to a Big Water Problem

Nanotechnology Solutions to a Big Water Problem

With an average of 3.6 million people dying each year from contaminated drinking water while another 65 million at risk, it looks like fresh water is becoming the oil problem of the 21st century: scarce, expensive, and fought over. There is growing interest in the development of green nanotechnology for water purification as an ecologically safe and cost-efficient approach. Nanosponges are a combination of glass and nanoparticles structurally capable of trapping pesticides and other hazardous organic matter. Nanorust particles have been observed to reduce arsenic and certain diseases in water by binding to its target and then being magnetically removed. Finally, nanomesh watersticks have become an efficient and economical means for filtering water due to the portability of the technology and efficacy of the nanotubules at work. The biggest setback for these technologies, however, is what to do with these contaminants once removed from the water. The primary goal of this project is to describe these nanotechnology methods and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using these newly developed methods.