ABSTRACT
The global water crisis has become an emerging dilemma for humans in the recent years. Water is becoming scarcer in many countries and various strategies are being formulated to try and preserve water. Various factors, such as population growth, urbanization and industrialization (associated with an increase in production and consumption), have continually stressed hydrological resources due to the release of vast volumes of wastewater (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 2015). The world demand for water has increased several fold due to the growing global population and in turn, agriculture, industry, and energy demands on water resources has increased and will continue to grow. This will result in billions of people living in regions described as “Water scarce”. The world’s growing population, expansion of urban areas and pollutants, all adversely impact water resources, especially in areas where natural resources are limited. The world’s growing demand for clean water requires the protection of water resources more than ever. Therefore, better water treatment technology is vital. Several traditional treatment methods and techniques have been applied for remediation of waste water. These methods and techniques are not efficient enough, are generally expensive and 168produce by-products causing further substantial pollution and hence, are not viable. Several new concepts and technologies for water purification are fast replacing the traditional methods in order to address these challenges. These methods are more cost-effective, less time and energy consuming and result in less waste generation than conventional methods. Nanotechnology holds great potential in handling water treatment problems and clearly makes further improvements in treatment efficiency all of which have advantages over traditional treatment processes. These can include lower capital outlay, operations and maintenance costs, higher efficiency, easier operation, better effluent water quality and lower waste production.
