Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
most depends on the effective surface area of their active materials. The large
surface areas of NPs make them more effective for the removal of contami-
nants than their bulk alternatives and are thus preferred for environmental
remediation.
Although no quantitative comparison of the costs of nano-based remedial
tools and their conventional counterparts could be accurately conducted at
this time, the vast majority of published literature qualitatively describe the
nZVI and nano-TiO
2
as more cost efficient than their traditional alternatives.
Being less costly and more effective in terms of operation, these technologies
may soon dominate the market, which would ensure their high impact on
the future remediation activities.
Nanotechnology has led to the development of a variety of water and gas
end-of-pipe treatment technologies. Many of these technologies are still
on the bench scale, but some (e.g., CNMs) are already available and com-
petitive on the market. In the context of the global water shortage prob-
lem, technologies such as the CNMs are important breakthroughs with the
potential to become widely used and, thus, deliver substantial water treat-
ment benefits.
It is expected that in the very near future, NM technology will offer pow-
erful solutions for CO
2
separation from flue gases (i.e., highly selective CNT,
polymeric, and zeolite membranes). When applied in industry, these tech-
nologies may become a valuable ally in the combat against global warming
and thus help protect the health and wellbeing of many people all around
the globe.
References
1. Masciagnoli T. and Zhang W.X. Environmental technologies at the nanoscale,
Environ. Sci. Technol.
, 37, 102A-108A, 2003.
2.
Report From the Workshop Organized by Nanoforum and the Institute for Environment
and Sustainability, JRC Ispra.
JRC Ispra: Brussels, 2006. Available online:
http://
shop%20report.pdf?28082006150510
(accessed December 2, 2009).
3. “Pollution” Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Available online:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollution
(accessed December
2, 2009).
4.
Health Effects of Ozone in the General Population.
United States Environmental
Protection Agency: Washington, DC, 1999; Available online:
http://www.epa.
gov/o3healthtraining/population.html
(accessed December 2, 2009).
5.
Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter.
United States Environmental
Protection Agency: Washington, DC, 1997; Available online:
http://www.epa.gov/
Region7/programs/artd/air/quality/pmhealth.htm
(accessed December 2, 2009).
