Possibility of Using Carbon Nanotubes in Water and Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

One of the most important problems of today is the pollution of water resources with polluting substances, among which, heavy metals are one of the most commonly detected pollutants. Adsorption has proven to be an efficient and economically acceptable treatment for contaminated water before discharge into recipients, thereby achieving better control of the release of pollutants, and thus providing better protection and facilitating the long-lasting process of revitalization of natural sources. The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their application in the water and wastewater treatment system, especially as adsorption material and also in membranes filtration for removal heavy metals and colloidal and organic matters is catching attention of a large number of researchers, primarily due to the increasing water shortage and the deterioration of water quality. In previous research, CNTs have proven to be very effective in water and wastewater treatment, due to their numerous advantages that are for example large specific surface area, strong antimicrobial activity and high adsorption. This article provides an overview of the synthesis and production of CNTs as well as the possibility of their use in water and wastewater treatment as adsorbent and in membrane technology.