Nanobiotechnology in Wastewater Treatment and Circular Economy: Frontiers in Wastewater Management

Water is indispensable for the survival of all living organisms. Rapid growth in population and other industries have led to over-usage and wastage of this non-renewable resource, which in turn has caused a brisk rise in wastewater and shortage of clean water for many. Hence, the availability of clean water is the need of the hour in today’s world. The wastewater generated is full of contaminants that remain even on filtration, leading to adverse health impacts on people. A plethora of methods have been explored for wastewater treatment but due to various shortcomings, their usage has subdued over the past decade. Thus, the advent of the latest and more feasible methods is being explored in order to curb this issue. Nanotechnology is one such advancement in this field, in which a matter is maneuvered at the molecular level to obtain the required properties for a superior result. Nanomaterials are emerging as a promising technology for wastewater treatment owing to their unique features like high surface-to-area ratio, compact size, high adsorption capacity, high specificity, and better efficiency. In this chapter, the application of nanotechnology for wastewater treatment and its potential role in attaining circular economy has been discussed.