Current Perspectives and Future Prospects of Nano-Biotechnology in Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Industrialization and urbanization are contributing extensively to the production of wastewater, which mostly ends up untreated in water bodies, leading to water pollution. Treatment of wastewater could be a promising approach in mitigating the pollution. Nano-biotechnology (NBT), which is an emerging technology, has excellent potential in wastewater treatment. Nano-materials have the ability to remove pollutants and pathogens by working either as the stand-alone treatment agents or by being incorporated into biological membranes and integrated with the conventional treatment techniques. This review presents an overview of possible applications of NBT in wastewater treatment, highlighting the antimicrobial activities of various nanomaterials, and describing the production of algal membrane-based bioreactor and microbial fuel cells. Significant difficulties in NBT utilization in wastewater treatment are also discussed. Further research directions needed to provide a sustainable method of water purification are proposed.