Applications of nanotechnology in water and （应用纳米技术在水和）.pdf

w a t e r r e s e a r c h 4 7 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 3 9 3 1 e3 9 4 6 Available online at journal homepage: /locate/watres Applications of nanotechnology in water and wastewater treatment Xiaolei Qu, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Qilin Li* Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Providing clean and affordable water to meet human needs is a grand challenge of the 21st Received 13 July 2012 century. Worldwide, water supply struggles to keep up with the fast growing demand, Received in revised form which is exacerbated by population growth, global climate change, and water quality 8 September 2012 deterioration. The need for technological innovation to enable integrated water manage- Accepted 11 September 2012 ment cannot be overstated. Nanotechnology holds great potential in advancing water and Available online 26 March 2013 wastewater treatment to improve treatment efficiency as well as to augment water supply through safe use of unconventional water sources. Here we review recent development in Keywords: nanotechnology for water and wastewater treatment. The discussion covers candidate Nanotechnology nanomaterials, properties and mechanisms that enable the applications, advantages and Nanomaterials limitations as compared to existing processes, and barriers and research needs for Water and wastewater treatment