biology

Nanotechnology for water purification

Nanotechnology for water purification is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nanotechnology for water purification rather than just read about it. In short: There are many water purifiers available in the market which use different techniques like boiling, filtration, distillation, chlorination, sedimentation and oxidation. Currently nanotechnology plays a vital role in water purification techniques.

Key takeaways

Nanotechnology for water purification belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nanotechnology for water purification to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nanotechnology for water purification from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

There are many water purifiers available in the market which use different techniques like boiling, filtration, distillation, chlorination, sedimentation and oxidation. Currently nanotechnology plays a vital role in water purification techniques. Nanotechnology is the process of manipulating atoms on a nanoscale. In nanotechnology, nanomembranes are used with the purpose of softening the water and removal of contaminants such as physical, biological and chemical contaminants. There are a variety of techniques in nanotechnology which use nanoparticles for providing safe drinking water with a high level of effectiveness. Some techniques have become commercialized. For better water purification or treatment processes nanotechnology is preferred. Many different types of nanomaterials or nanoparticles are used in water treatment processes. Nanotechnology is useful in regards to remediation, desalination, filtration, purification and water treatment. The main features that make nanoparticles effective for water treatment are

More surface area Small volume The higher the surface area and volume, the particles become stronger, more stable and durable Materials may change electrical, optical, physical, chemical, or biological properties at the nano level Makes chemical and biological reactions easier Current commercial water purifiers using nanotechnology include the LifeSaver bottle, Lifesaver Jerrycan, Lifesaver Cube, Nanoceram, and NanoH2O.

Nanocellulose based water purification system Nanocellulose based renewable material has a combination of high surface area with high material strength. It is chemically inert and possesses versatile hydrophilic surface chemistry. These properties make them a most promising nanomaterial for usage as a membrane and filter in water purification systems to remove bacterial and chemical contaminants from polluted water. It is noted that nanocellulose material has high potential in water purification technology. Different types of nanocellulose materials available for water purification system includes Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). These are the rod-like nanomaterials whose size ranges from 100 to 2000 nm with the diameter of 2 to 20 nm. Those length and diameter are mostly based on origin and preparation route for the synthesis of nanocellulose. Those nanocellulose materials are used to remove organic pollutants in water such as dyes, oils and pesticides traces present in water. Currently, fully biobased membrane using nanocellulose are fabricated which is used to remove metal ions such as Cu2+, Fe2+ etc, sulfates, fluorides and other organic compounds. This bio-based nanocellulose filter has more advantage to conventional filters. Nanocellulose is prepared by various methods such as sulphuric acid hydrolysis and mechanical grinding method. Water purification system is mainly based on the principle of absorption. For the absorption of anionic metal species, the nanocellulose materials are functionalized with a positive charged cationic group. Similarly, for the absorption of cationic metal species, the nanocellulose material is functionalized with the negatively charged anionic group. Nanocellulose based materials have limitation in cost for large-scale production and its specificity. Current research is based on the synthesis of hybrid nanocellulose material in combination with several other nanomaterials for the improvement of adsorption capacity.

Graphene coated nanofilter

Graphene is chemically dormant, mechanically sturdy, and non-permeable to gas or liquid. So, carbon plays a major role for fabrication of nanomaterials with porous nature. Graphene membranes that are formed by graphene oxide molecules or chemically converted graphene that is adhered with 2D nano mediated arrays have the ability to efficiently separate molecules in a gas or in a liquid phase. Graphene-coated nanomembranes are said to be more applicable in water treatment due to its unique properties. Graphene membranes are obtained from vacuum filtration or coating of graphene oxide solution as Graphene oxide sheets. The graphene coated nanofiltration membrane showed a higher water flux range. The graphene embedded with carbon nanotubes to serve as nanofilters is more useful for dye rejection in water effluent, removal of salt ions, and also acts as antifouling agent. Graphene nanofilter membranes possess effective antifouling agent due to its strong bond between graphene sheets and proteins. Also, graphene oxide coated nanofilter membranes helps in dechlorination of water. In addition to this, ultrathin nanofilter coated with graphene is the most potent filter that could be commercialized for water purification. Graphene oxide membranes can be used in various forms such as free, surface modified, and graphene cast in membranes in the range of micro, nano, or ultrafilters. Among which nanofilters is more efficient for water desalination due to its mechanical strength and physiochemical properties of the membrane. Moreover, there are some challenges in fabricating and applying graphene oxide based nanofilters for water desalination. The challenges include mechanical instability if nanofilters are in the form of nanosheets, cost strategy, surface flaws, and assembly. Therefore, there are more scopes in this area of research to be worked on for the betterment of the society.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nanotechnology for water purification

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nanotechnology for water purification claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nanotechnology for water purification before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nanotechnology for water purification ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nanotechnology for water purification

In research: Nanotechnology for water purification appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nanotechnology for water purification in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nanotechnology for water purification is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Drinking water, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology and the environment, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nanotechnology for water purification outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nanotechnology for water purification in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nanotechnology for water purification means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nanotechnology for water purification out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nanotechnology for water purification in simple terms?

Why does Nanotechnology for water purification matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nanotechnology for water purification?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nanotechnology for water purification.