Evaluation and removal of emerging nanoparticle contaminants in water treatment: a review

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are currently introduced into various consumer products. Numerous new applications and products containing nanoparticles are expected to increase in the future, and hence leading to the presence of nanoparticles in natural aquatic environment. The prominent concerns with the release of ENPs are their detrimental effects on ecosystem and human health. However, we are far from having appropriate analytical methods to acquire data on concentration, chemical characteristics, and transport of nanoparticles in aquatic environment. Moreover, there is no conventional treatment that can absolutely protect the consumer from exposure to ENPs. This paper discusses the characterization techniques that are used for identifying different types of nanoparticles, the status of current analytical methods, advantages of coagulation and ultrafiltration that can effectively remove contaminants from drinking water, future development of water analysis and treatment technologies for removing different nanoparticles from aquatic environment.