Application of Nanotechnology in Detection and Removal of Pollutants in Water System

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1821

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 54311, USA
Interests: nanoscience; nanomaterials; metal nanoparticles; magnetic nanoparticles; extraction of pollutants; surfactant chemistry

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Chemistry, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001, USA
Interests: nanoparticles; bioactive nanomaterials; sustainable chemistry; environmental sustainability; magnetic nanoparticles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of nanotechnology in water treatment began in the 1990s, as researchers recognized the potential of nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes) to enhance pollutant detection and removal. Early breakthroughs focused on using magnetic nanoparticles and metal oxides for removing heavy metals and organic contaminants. By the 2000s, nanomaterial-based sensors enabled the sensitive detection of pollutants in water, while nanocomposites and photocatalysis advanced pollutant degradation. In recent years, nano-based filtration technologies have improved membrane efficiency and removed microplastics. Despite challenges related to scalability and toxicity, nanotechnology continues to offer innovative, sustainable solutions for global water pollution.

Our goal is to advance the understanding and practical use of nanotechnology, emphasizing the novelty of work on creating sustainable solutions for global water pollution challenges. This Special Issue will focus on the exploration of eco-friendly, scalable nanotechnologies that can be implemented in large-scale water treatment systems, addressing both the cost-effectiveness and environmental impacts of nanomaterial use.

We request high-impact studies on next-generation nanomaterials such as nanocatalysts, nano-adsorbents, and functionalized nanomaterials, as well as bionanomaterials for the efficient removal of emerging contaminants. Additionally, we welcome work on the environmental impact, toxicology, and sustainability of nanomaterials used in water treatment, addressing concerns related to bioaccumulation and ecotoxicity.

We request original research manuscripts, review articles, and communications that explore the application of nanotechnology in detecting and removing pollutants in water systems. We invite papers focusing on the interdisciplinary development and application of nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanocomposites), nanosensors, and bionanosensors for detecting and remediating waterborne contaminants, as well as run-offs including heavy metals, organic pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, and microplastics.

Research papers should highlight novel nanomaterial designs, including nanostructures that exhibit high specificity, efficiency, and selectivity for target pollutants in water. Studies on the use of nanotechnology-based sensors, biosensors for rapid detection and nano-adsorbents, surface adsorptionfiltrationcatalytic degradation, and the removal of specific pollutants  and  contaminants are highly encouraged.

We are also interested in real-world applications of nanotechnology for water purification, particularly in areas with limited access to clean water. Finally, we encourage papers that evaluate the scalability, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory challenges in implementing nanotechnology-based water treatment systems.

Dr. Mandeep Singh Bakshi
Guest Editor

Dr. Rajpreet Kaur
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • nanomaterials/nanosensors for water sustainability
  • metal pollutant/microplastic detection in water
  • industrial effluents
  • agricultural run-off pollutant removal
  • magnetic nanoparticle extraction of water pollutants
  • nano-adsorbent
  • engineered nanoparticles for water purification

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 4700 KiB  
Article
Silver and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Effective Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment
by Mahmoud Abou-Okada, Mansour El-Matbouli and Mona Saleh
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(7), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15070559 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 326
Abstract
This study explores the use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), either singly or in combination, for the nanoremediation of aquaculture wastewater. Aquaculture wastewater was treated with varying doses of Ag NPs and ZnO NPs across the following [...] Read more.
This study explores the use of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), either singly or in combination, for the nanoremediation of aquaculture wastewater. Aquaculture wastewater was treated with varying doses of Ag NPs and ZnO NPs across the following six groups: Group 1 (0.05 mg Ag NPs/L), Group 2 (1 mg ZnO NPs/L), Group 3 (0.05 mg Ag NPs/L + 1 mg ZnO NPs/L), Group 4 (0.025 Ag NPs/L + 0.5 mg ZnO NPs/L), Group 5 (0.1 mg Ag NPs/L + 2 mg ZnO NPs/L), and a control group. Water quality, microbial loads and nanomaterial concentrations were assessed over ten days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed average particle sizes of 102.5 nm for Ag NPs and 110.27 nm for ZnO NPs. The removal efficiencies of NH4-N were over 98% across treatment groups. In addition, COD removal efficiencies were 33.33%, 68.82%, 49.59%, 61.49%, and 37.65%. The log-reductions in aerobic plate counts for the nanoparticle-treated wastewater were 1.191, 1.947, 1.133, 1.071, and 0.087, compared to a reduction of 0.911 in untreated wastewater. Silver concentrations ranged from 0.0079 to 0.0192 mg/L, while zinc concentrations ranged from 0.3040 to 0.9740 mg/L, indicating that ZnO-NPs represent a sustainable treatment method for aquaculture wastewater. Full article
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15 pages, 3765 KiB  
Article
A Novel Gully-like Surface of Stainless-Steel Fiber Coated with COF-TPB-DMTP Nanoparticles for Solid-Phase Microextraction of Phthalic Acid Esters in Bottled Tea Beverages
by Yuanyuan Yuan, Baohui Li, Keqing Zhang and Hongtao Zhu
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(5), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15050385 - 2 Mar 2025
Viewed by 607
Abstract
A covalent organic framework TPB-DMTP was physically coated onto the gully-like surface of stainless-steel fiber. The fabricated TPB-DMTP-coated stainless-steel fiber was used to extract five phthalic acid esters (PAEs) prior to the GC-FID separation and determination in bottled tea beverages. The developed SPME-GC-FID [...] Read more.
A covalent organic framework TPB-DMTP was physically coated onto the gully-like surface of stainless-steel fiber. The fabricated TPB-DMTP-coated stainless-steel fiber was used to extract five phthalic acid esters (PAEs) prior to the GC-FID separation and determination in bottled tea beverages. The developed SPME-GC-FID method gave limits of detection (S/N = 3) from 0.04 µg·L−1 (DBP) to 0.44 µg·L−1 (BBP), with the enrichment factors from 268 (DEHP) to 2657 (DPP). The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the built method for inter-day and fiber-to-fiber were 4.1–11.8% and 2.3–9.9%, respectively. The prepared TPB-DMTP-coated stainless-steel fibers could stand at least 180 cycles without a significant loss of extraction efficiency. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of trace PAEs in different bottled tea beverages, with recoveries from 85.5% to 115%. Full article
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13 pages, 4158 KiB  
Article
The Preparation of Robust Gully-like Surface of Stainless Steel Fiber-Bonded TFPA–TTA–COF with Nano Pores for Solid-Phase Microextraction of Phenolic Compounds in Water
by Wanqian Wei, Yu Shi, Keqing Zhang and Baohui Li
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(5), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15050354 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 540
Abstract
In this paper, a novel robust TFPA–TTA–COF coating with nano pores was grafted to the gully-like surface of stainless steel fibers (GS-SSF). The GS-SSF were prepared using a two-step electrochemical etching method, and the covalent organic framework (COF) TFPA–TTA–COF coating was chemically bonded [...] Read more.
In this paper, a novel robust TFPA–TTA–COF coating with nano pores was grafted to the gully-like surface of stainless steel fibers (GS-SSF). The GS-SSF were prepared using a two-step electrochemical etching method, and the covalent organic framework (COF) TFPA–TTA–COF coating was chemically bonded to the gully-like surface via in situ growth. The prepared metal fibers were applied as the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) fibers and combined with gas chromatography (GC) to develop a detection method for phenolic compounds (PCs) in water. The developed method gave the limits of detection (S/N = 3) from 0.07 µg·L−1 to 0.52 µg·L−1 with enrichment factors from 243 to 2405. The relative standard deviations for inter-day study (n = 5) and fiber-to-fiber were from 3.94% to 8.89% and 2.17% to 8.05%, respectively. The prepared fiber could stand at least 180 cycles without remarkable loss of extraction efficiency. The developed method was successfully employed for the determination of trace PCs in environmental water with recoveries from 84.76% to 124.84%. Full article
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