Cleanup and Pollution with Nanoparticles: Environmental Dilemma

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) emerged by nanotechnology has a widespread use in various sectors including production of consumer products, medical applications, agriculture, electronics, etc. as well as in water treatment technologies. However, there is a growing concern about their ecotoxic effects due to their continuous release to the environmental sources. Although the occurrence of NPs in different environmental compartments was proven, there are still knowledge gaps about their concentration, fate and behavior, hence the actual extent of human exposure. On the other hand, utilization of NPs for water disinfection has gained attention as a promising technology. Yet, the potential release of NPs directly into drinking water is questionable. Here, the use of NPs creates an environmental dilemma by being both the solution and source of pollution.