Removal of Heavy Metals Using Nano Particles – A Review

IJEP 39 (1) : 17-21 (2019)

V. Yogeshwaran and A. K. Priya

Abstract

Presence of heavy metals (Cr6+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Mg2+) in water and wastewater is a very big issue for nature and also it contaminates the groundwater level. It is very toxic for living organisms and it causes major environmental problems. It is non-biodegradable and accumulates in the environment for a very long time. Removal of these heavy metal concentrations in the water and wastewater is the most complicated process. Many methods (chemical precipitation, electrodialysis, adsorption, membrane filtration and phytoremediation) are used to reduce the heavy metal concentration from the industrial wastewater. Among these methods, adsorption is one of the cost-effective methods being widely used to reduce the concentration level of the heavy metals from the contaminated water using the various adsorbents. But due to the particle size and variable properties of different adsorbents, the removal efficiency of these heavy metals is getting considerably reduced. This review article presents the information about the application of different kinds of nano-particles for the removal of heavy metals from industrial effluent.