Advances in the Application of Nanomaterials in Environmental Remediation

Dear Colleagues,

The presence of non-degradable halides, organic substances, heavy metals, and radioactive elements in waste water, exhaust gases and municipal waste is currently causing serious pollution of the environment. Along with industrial and agricultural processes, pesticides and typical organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbons are frequently being discharged into the soil environment. In addition, various antibiotics and antimicrobial materials find use in clinical medicine to achieve bactericidal effects. The increasing contamination causes changes in the structure and function of the environment, affecting the normal life activities of organisms in the environmental media, while harmful substances may enter the human body through the food chain/food web, posing a serious threat to human health. Therefore, the question of how to remediate environmental pollution in an efficient and safe manner must be addressed urgently.

Most contemporary studies focus on the mechanism of adsorption of pollutants by various materials, among which nanomaterials have high adsorption capacity and reactivity and can rapidly remove a variety of pollutants from the environment through various physicochemical methods. This is a type of environmental remediation agent with great potential to form complexes with pollutants to increase the migration rate and bioavailability of pollutants, accelerating the remediation of hazardous substances in soil. The use of nanomaterials may be greatly reduced as a consequence, resulting in cost savings and reduced secondary contamination compared to traditional methods.

As a result, nanomaterials including nanopowders (nanoparticles), nanofibers (nanotubes, nanowires), nanofilms, nanoblocks, and nanophase-separated liquids, especially for the clay, halloysite, MOF, COF, hydrotalcite, and carbon nanotubes, have been discussed in published related articles dealing with environmental remediation. However, the available work is not comprehensive and the issues such as its biological toxicity and environmental impact in the environment still require in-depth research. Researchers must conduct comprehensive environmental assessments and risk assessments when applying nanomaterials; however, we should not limit ourselves to reducing the impact of the materials discussed but instead set more ambitious targets ensure that the impact of nanomaterials on the environment and human health is minimised.

Prof. Dr. Po-Hsiang Chang
Guest Editor

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