Current Perspectives of Nanomaterials in Wastewater Treatment for Sustainable Environment

Nanotechnology is becoming an indispensable component of the Sustain
able Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of environmental preserva
tion and circular economy. Several anthropogenic activity-induced issues, like pollu
tion, biodiversity loss, climate change, etc., have posed challenges in achieving these
goals by 2030. Nanotechnology holds significant implications for global sustain
ability endeavors as evident from its presence in numerous scientific domains,
including engineering, medicinal science, energy, and the environment. Green
nanotechnology offers an interesting avenue for the synthesis of safe and cost
effective nano-materials/particles with requisite specification. Green synthesis of
nanomaterials (NMs) employs bio-resources such as bacteria, fungi, herbs, and
agricultural residues, which lowers the synthesis process’ carbon footprint. This
chapter discusses the green nanotechnology-enabled solutions for wastewater treat
ment under the ambit of SDG-goal 6 “clean water and sanitation.” We also talk about potential green NMs, their characteristics and mechanisms for wastewater manage
ment applications, benefits and drawbacks in comparison with current methods, and
the challenges and future scope of research activities.

纳米技术正成为可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs）不可或缺的组成部分，尤其在环境保护与循环经济领域。诸多人为活动引发的问题，如污染、生物多样性丧失、气候变化等，为2030年实现上述目标带来了严峻挑战。纳米技术在工程、医药科学、能源与环境等众多科学领域的广泛应用，足以彰显其对全球可持续发展事业的重要意义。绿色纳米技术为合成符合特定规格的安全且经济高效的纳米材料/纳米颗粒提供了极具前景的路径。纳米材料（Nanomaterials, NMs）的绿色合成工艺以细菌、真菌、草本植物及农业废弃物等生物资源为原料，可降低合成过程的碳足迹。本章围绕可持续发展目标6“清洁饮水与卫生设施”的范畴，探讨了基于绿色纳米技术的污水处理解决方案。此外，本章还将介绍适用于污水处理场景的潜在绿色纳米材料，阐述其特性与作用机制，对比现有技术分析其优劣，并探讨相关研究面临的挑战与未来发展方向。