Evaluation of Nanotechnology for
Application in Water and Wastewater Treatment and Related Aspects in
South Africa
Report No: KV 195/07
August 2007
Executive Summary
Nanotechnology is the art, science and engineering for manipulating
objects at the 1 - 100 nm scale. It involves design, synthesis,
manipulation, characterization and exploitation of materials and
devices with structures defined in terms of nanometers. Nanotechnology
is not a single science but includes aspects of chemistry, physics,
biology, material science, etc. Chemists, physicists, biologists,
medical doctors, engineers and computer scientists typically form part
of teams that work in the nanotechnology field.
Nanotechnology is generally regarded as a new generation of technology
with the potential to revolutionise most facets of the world we live
in. This includes virtually all aspects of our daily lives, including
health and health care, the materials and equipment we use and the way
they are manufactured, our environment and protection thereof. However,
the ‘revolution’ will not happen overnight and very
large investments in research and development and production will be
required in the process.
Nanotechnology is an enabling technology that, potentially, could lead
to cost-effective and high-performance water treatment systems. It has
the scope and performance potential to generate technically and
environmentally appropriate solutions to water related problems over a
wide spectrum. In addition to improved treatment technologies, it
offers the promise of cleaning up historic pollution problems. It has
the potential for instant and continuous monitoring of water quality,
but its biggest impact on the environment could be in pollution
prevention through improved clean technologies for better conversion of
materials and elimination of waste production.
Challenges that need to be resolved before nanomaterials could be
successfully used on large scale in water treatment include safety
evaluation, large scale production facilities, safe disposal of wastes
and energy efficiency. These are major challenges that might cause
major delays in the large scale application of nanotechnology in water
treatment.
The main findings of an investigation into nanoscale research in South
Africa (Pouris, 2007) is that it is driven by individual
researchers’ interests and it is in its early stages of
development; the country’s nanoscale research is below what
one would expect in light of its overall publication output; the
country’s nanoresearch is distributed at a number of
Universities with a sub-critical concentration of researchers.
From an initial survey of nanotechnology developments in the water
field and problems in the South African water industry, the authors
have compiled the following preliminary list of areas in which research
on water-related nanotechnology could be initiated and existing South
African efforts possibly be coordinated to address South African
problem areas. Three general areas have been identified: (i) water
treatment technology including development of improved membranes and
development of activated filter media, (ii) development of real-time
diagnostic tools for water quality assessment, (iii) development of
membrane-based wastewater treatment technology.