Nanotechnology: Boon or Bane for the Environment?

Nanotechnology For Air Pollutants:

NOx (NO and NO₂) emissions from fossil fuel combustion have been reduced through the introduction of new technologies. Adsorbents often utilized to remove NOx at low temperatures include ion exchange zeolites, activated carbon, and FeOOH dispersed over active carbon fibre. NO can be effectively adsorbed on activated carbon due to the reactivity of surface functional groups, even if the quantity of adsorbed species is still tiny. According to Long and Yang, (2001) CNTs might be used as an adsorbent for the removal of NO.

Health problems such as heart disease and lung cancer have long been linked to exposure to particulate matter and heavy metal pollution over lengthy periods of time. Heavy metals may be found in a wide range of concentrations in urban areas, with particle sizes generally in the range of 100–300 nm (Filipponi and Sutherland, 2010). In addition, microorganisms cannot break down heavy metals (i.e. they are not biodegradable).

Detecting heavy metal ions before they reach dangerous levels is a pressing need since heavy-metal-contaminated soil is so difficult to clean up (Wang, 2000). Sensors that can identify toxins at the molecular level might enhance human health and the environment's capacity to be protected. For environmental decision-making and process management, more sensitive and less costly pollution detection technologies may lead to considerable gains. It is one of the focused technologies that may provide data on contaminants in a short length of time (Roduner 2006).