Nanoparticle Removal in Water Treatment Systems
Summary
Nanoparticles—both engineered and incidental—are emerging contaminants of global concern owing to their small size, high reactivity and potential toxicity. Conventional water treatment trains, designed for particulates in the micrometre range, often fail to remove sub-100 nm particles, leading to their release into drinking water and the environment. Removal strategies have evolved to incorporate advanced physicochemical and biological processes. Physical approaches include membrane filtration, coagulation–flocculation and depth filtration; chemical approaches deploy adsorption media, advanced oxidation and catalytic degradation; biological approaches exploit microbial flocculation or biofilter adsorption. Optimisation of operational parameters such as pH, ionic strength and coagulant dosage is critical to enhance aggregation and retention of nanoparticles on filter media or flocs. Emerging low-cost and sustainable solutions, such as bio-based flocculants and plant-derived filtration matrices, demonstrate high removal efficiencies under a range of water chemistries. Integration of multistage trains—combining coagulation, sand filtration, activated carbon adsorption and advanced oxidation—offers the greatest potential to achieve regulatory compliance and safeguard human health across diverse water sources.
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Nanoparticle Removal in Water Treatment Systems publication trend
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Technical terms
Engineered nanoparticles: Particles under 100 nm intentionally designed for specific industrial, commercial or medical purposes.
Coagulation–flocculation: Chemical process that destabilises colloids and aggregates particles into larger flocs for sedimentation or filtration.
Depth filter: Porous medium (e.g. sand, fibrous mats) where particles are trapped throughout the filter bed rather than solely on the surface.
Zeta potential: Electrical potential at the slipping plane of a particle; key parameter governing colloidal stability and aggregation.
Advanced oxidation process (AOP): Treatment using strong oxidants (e.g. ozone, hydrogen peroxide, UV) to degrade or transform contaminants.
References
- Highly effective nanoparticle removal in plant-based water filters. Environmental Science Advances (2023).
- Retention of Engineered Nanoparticles in Drinking Water Treatment Processes: Laboratory and Pilot-Scale Experiments. Applied Nano (2024).
- Removal of hazardous oxide nanoparticles by the biopolymer flocculation in the presence of divalent salt. Chemical Engineering Journal (2021).
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