Use of Nanotechnology against Heavy Metals Present in Water

The contamination of drinking water by heavy metals has become a serious threat to the public health and currently affects millions of people across the world. Nanotechnology, or the engineering of matter that has at least one dimension in the range from 1 to 100 nm, offers the potential for novel nanomaterials for treatment of surface water, groundwater and wastewater that is contaminated by heavy metals. Nanomaterials with some unique physico-chemical and surface properties are used to treat heavy metal contaminants in aqueous systems. In this chapter literature on recent developments of different nanomaterials (graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal, metal oxides, etc.) and their use against heavy metals present in water is reviewed.