Important challenges in the global water situation, mainly resulting from worldwide population growth and climate change, require novel innovative water technologies in order to ensure a supply of drinking water and reduce global water pollution. Against this background, the adaptation of highly advanced nanotechnology to traditional process engineering offers new opportunities in technological developments for advanced water and wastewater technology processes. Here, an overview of recent advances in nanotechnologies for water and wastewater treatment processes is provided, including nanobased materials, such as nanoadsorbents, nanometals, nanomembranes, and photocatalysts. The beneficial properties of these materials as well as technical barriers when compared with conventional processes are reported. The state of commercialization is presented and an outlook on further research opportunities is given for each type of nanobased material and process. In addition to the promising technological enhancements, the limitations of nanotechnology for water applications, such as laws and regulations as well as potential health risks, are summarized. The legal framework according to nanoengineered materials and processes that are used for water and wastewater treatment is considered for European countries and for the USA.
In 2030, 47% of the world population will be living in areas of high water stress (UN World Water Development Report 3, 2009). The global water shortage results in an emerging need for novel, more efficient and cost saving water purification methods. Membrane technology with its very low use of chemical substances and secure retention of contaminants represents a promising water cleaning method. The approach presented focuses on the application of nanocoating procedures to membrane processes which aims at reducing the fouling potential of membranes and destroying water contaminants. Photocatalytic titanium dioxide nanoparticles are applied. Novel suitable microsieves including a homogeneous pore size distribution and high robustness were developed from metallic material. An appropriate multilayer coating system was developed and applied on a new nanocomposite filter resulting in high photocatalytic activities with maximum photon efficiencies of 0.0733. The coating layer do not have a negative influence on the permeate flux. The effectiveness of the nanocomposite filter was proven in a 12 days biofouling experiment with activated sludge suspensions.
Reifenabrieb verursacht Feinstaub und gilt als eine der größten Quellen von Mikroplastik in der Umwelt. Die Ausbreitung von Reifenabrieb über die Luft und Straßenabläufe ist kaum untersucht. Um die räumliche Verteilung, die Ausbreitung und den Verbleib von Reifenabrieb entlang von Straßen, in der Atmosphäre und in der aquatischen Umwelt zu modellieren, werden in der vorgestellten Studie geographische Daten und Verkehrsdaten sowie Straßentypen und Fahrsituationen miteinander verknüpft. Exemplarisch für die Ausbreitung in der aquatischen Umwelt werden die in dem Einzugsgebiet der Panke entstehenden Reifenabriebmengen und deren Stoffpfade berechnet und bilanziert. So werden Entstehung- und Eintrag-Hotspots von Reifenabrieb im Einzugsgebiet identifiziert.
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