Protecting the environment is one of the biggest uses of nanotechnology. Most pollutants, especially in the water or air, exist on the nanoscale. Therefore, nanotechnology is effective in reducing air and water pollution, and can even be used to produce better solar cells.
Climate change is bad. I hope you agree. I also hope you agree that one of the main causes of climate change is air pollution often from factories or transportation. As technology has progressed throughout time, so has air pollution, but given more advancements in technology, we may be able to combat this trend. This includes improvements in nanotechnology! There are two main ways in which nanotechnology can combat air pollution: catalysts and nanostructured membranes.
Nanoparticles are often used to create effective catalysts given their greater surface area. This larger surface area allows more chemicals to interact with the catalyst simultaneously making it more effective. Since catalysts are used to enable chemical reactions, a nanoparticle catalyst can be created to convert pollutant gases such as carbon dioxide to useful or safer gases for our atmosphere.
Given the minuscule size of gases that pollute the air, it feels nearly impossible to trap them. But once again, given their size, nanostructured, while still in development, would be able to separate carbon dioxide from industrial plant exhaust systems. This would allow for harmful gases to not be released into the atmosphere.
The use of nanotechnology in water filtration and purification is very similar to its air counterpart. There are essentially three ways that nanotechnology can assist with water purification. Each of these methods are designed to tackle a different form of pollution found in water.
Once again, nanoparticles can be used as catalysts in water. They can work to convert certain pollutant chemicals such as TCE into something harmless through chemical reactions. This is especially useful since current industrial water cleansing methods require pumping water out of the ground which is inefficient and expensive.
The other two commonly found pollutants in water include salts or metals, and virus cells. Salts and metals can be removed from water through electrodes composed of nanosized fibers and virus cells can be removed through filters that are only a few nanometers in diameter.
So, while pollution itself if very small (although a very big problem) it is necessary to use technology that is just as small in order to combat it. Nanotechnology is the solution.