A comprehensive review on micropollutants removal using carbon nanotubes-based adsorbents and membranes

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals, steroids, personal care products, and disruptive endocrine substances are increasingly being used for healthcare objectives and to improve living conditions, resulting in the widespread presence of micropollutants in various water sources. Traditional water/ sewage and wastewater treatment plants are limited in their ability to cope with with these pollutants, making it challenging to supply safe and clean water for drinking and other domestic purposes. In this review, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and CNTs related composites/ membranes have been considered suitable for settling this emerging issue. The existence of emerging micropollutants and their deleterious effects on human and animal health are discussed in this review. The efficient removal of micropollutants from different water sources using different types of CNTs (pristine/ functionalized) and CNTs-based composites/ membranes have been reviewed and evaluated. Moreover, fabrication approaches CNTs- based composites/membranes are also presented with their merits and demerits. Lastly, the current barriers and future perspectives are discussed in detail. The present review provides an in-depth understanding of the removal of micropollutants from CNTs and CNTs related composites/ membrane and allows future researchers to resolve the barriers related to their applications at an industrial scale.