Water Purification Using Magnetic Nanomaterials: An Overview

Abstract

Due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization, the supply of clean and affordable drinking water to living community is being a challenging job for water treatment experts because of the disposal of untreated wastewater into natural water bodies/streams. Regarding this, magnetic nanomaterials (MNMs)/particles are keeping pace in the development of innovative and future-oriented water purification technology due to having their unique characteristics (e.g., high specific surface area, charge opposite to targeted pollutant, small size and shape, efficient regeneration and reusability, higher chemical reactivity, easy separation from final effluents, etc.). However, the involvement of highly toxic and expensive chemicals during the synthesis of MNMs is hindering their practical applications in the water purification process. Recently, the synthesis of MNMs through biological approach is gaining great research interest due to the involvement of green biomolecules/bioreducing agents instead of hazardous chemicals as reducing and capping agents during fabrication of MNMs. Therefore, the present chapter is designed to discuss various approaches of MNMs manufacture via biological means and their applications in water purification systems. Moreover, a brief discussion is also portrayed on the removal of various pollutants from wastewater by using these MNMs.