The Use of Al and Fe Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Micropollutants

Abstract

Increasing attention has been paid to the presence of micropollutants in water and wastewater due to their widespread application and incomplete removal during conventional treatment. Micropollutants may induce harmful impacts on human health as well as aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems at concentrations in the μg/L-ng/L range due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity. Until now, different strategies have been developed to alleviate the problem of micropollutants in the environment. Meanwhile, several types of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have also been developed and applied for the effective, destructive treatment of problematic pollutants. AOPs involve the intermediacy of reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl (HO·) and sulfate (SO 4 · ) radicals. More recently, alternative, innovative AOPs using nanoscale materials have been explored. Zero-valent metals including zero-valent iron (ZVI) and zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl) have received increasing research interest due to their ease of use, high activity, availability and remarkable treatment performance. Their large surface area and the high number of active redox sites render nZVI and nZVAl good candidates for water and wastewater treatment. In this chapter, the application of ZVI- and ZVAl-mediated treatment systems for the degradation of organic and inorganic micropollutants has been presented and reviewed.