ABSTRACT
It used to be that the quality of water was assessed on the basis of color, odor, and taste. Palatability trumped potability. People used surface water from lakes, rivers, and ponds for drinking, which was not yet harmful as contaminants derived from anthropogenic sources were not yet potent enough. Owing to the increase in population and pollution of the environment, the quantity of available surface water decreased with time and most of it succumbed to severe pollution. In several places, living beings had to depend on
CONTENTS
26.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 511 26.2 Sensing/Removal of Pollutants of Water Using NMNs ............................................... 515
26.2.1 Inorganic Metal Ions ............................................................................................. 515 26.2.1.1 Mercury .................................................................................................... 515 26.2.1.2 Lead ........................................................................................................... 517 26.2.1.3 Copper ...................................................................................................... 518 26.2.1.4 Arsenic ...................................................................................................... 519
26.2.2 Inorganic Anions ................................................................................................... 521 26.2.2.1 Cyanide (CN−) .......................................................................................... 521 26.2.2.2 Iodide (I−) .................................................................................................. 521 26.2.2.3 Thiocyanate (SCN−) ................................................................................. 522 26.2.2.4 Sulde (S2−) ............................................................................................... 522
26.2.3 Organic Contaminants .......................................................................................... 522 26.2.3.1 Pesticides .................................................................................................. 522 26.2.3.2 Halocarbons ............................................................................................. 524 26.2.3.3 Other Organic Compounds ................................................................... 525
26.2.4 Biological Contamination/Sensing ..................................................................... 526 26.3 Devices and Market ........................................................................................................... 528 26.4 Perspectives ........................................................................................................................ 528 26.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 529 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................530 References .....................................................................................................................................530 Further Readings ......................................................................................................................... 532
groundwater because of the scarcity of clean surface water. However, groundwater often contains dangerous levels of arsenic, uoride, and other contaminants.1
