Synthetic nanoparticles in wastewater treatment | Synthetische Nanopartikel in der Abwasserreinigung

The following aspects have been identified with respect to the use of nanomaterials in wastewater treatment: 1. The use of nanotechnologies in wastewater/water treatment. 2. The effect of nanomaterials found in wastewater as a result of domestic, industrial and business use on wastewater treatment processes. 3. The removal of nanomaterials present in wastewater and load removal for treatment plant dischargeAlthough laboratory tests on the use of nanotechnologies in water and wastewater treatment have delivered promising results, their widespread use and commercialization are not yet on the horizon. Most of these processes require considerably more research. The challenges are not only technical and economic; the potential risks for humans and the environment also need to be assessed.To date, no detrimental effects of nanomaterials (NMs) on biological wastewater treatment processes have been identified. NMs are less toxic than their corresponding ionic forms, and compared to measured or balanced treatment-plant intake levels, even concentrations that are ten times higher than the defined level of NM have shown no chronic effects on treatment plant performance. In wastewater and in treatment plants alike, NM dispersions rapidly reform into large-diameter agglomerates, thereby losing their characteristically large surface area. NMs, however, quantitatively adsorb to the activated sludge (sewage sludge) and are transported to aquatic environments primarily as suspended particles. The coatings of NMs may also play a role in their environmental behavior. Citrate and other coating materials are normally broken down at treatment plants, reducing the stability of NM dispersions and promoting agglomeration.Based on own studies and available literature, it can be assumed that NMs quantitatively are transfered into the sludge phase. With regard to removal during the aqueous phase, NMs demonstrate adsorption behavior similar to that of heavy metals.