ABSTRACT
Water is a vital resource for humankind. However, its use in many industries has resulted in the generation of polluted wastewater that requires proper treatment before its disposal back into the natural environment or for reuse. Various methods have been employed for wastewater treatment, and it has been observed that trace amounts of pollutants such as heavy metals and dyes are removed at the tertiary level of the wastewater treatment. Various physical, chemical and biological methods are being used, and the current trend is to explore novel materials for the treatment of wastewater. One such aspect in the league is the use of magnetic nanomaterials, which has received the attention of the researchers in the past two decades. The role of magnetic nanomaterials in the removal of major inorganic and organic pollutants from wastewater has been emphasized due to their eco-friendly nature, high removal capacity and their ease of removal after use. They have shown a great potential for the removal of water pollutants. The development of magnetic nanomaterials, general mechanism of treatment, different modification methods and characterization techniques are discussed. The regeneration methods for the reuse of nanomaterials have an added advantage of making these materials economically viable. Thus, they may solve the purpose of improving the quality of our water resources.
