Nanotechnologies for Water and Wastewater Treatment: Call for papers

Considering the increasing demand for drinking water and requirements for improved quality, the strict regulations for effluent discharge limits, and environmental awareness for water quality impacts, nanotechnology has emerged as an exciting and promising science in the battle of water purification and wastewater treatment. Looking at the nanoscale has stimulated the development and use of novel and cost-effective technologies for catalytic degradation, adsorptive removal, and detection of contaminants as well as other environmental concerns. Increasing interest in development and use of nano-enabled systems for water, ranging from desalination to disinfection and recalcitrant organic pollutants elimination, is rapidly emerging and will be a focus in this special issue. However, nanotechnological materials are often accused for introducing a novel type of pollution that may result in intentional or unintentional exposure by humans and the ecosystem and pose hazard. Ecotoxicological impacts of nanoparticles and the potential for bioaccumulation in plants and microorganisms are a subject of current research, as nanoparticles are considered to present novel environmental impacts. Consequently, advances in nanometrology is critical to track and quantify exposures, understand transformations, and model nanomaterials in various matrices, and perhaps the prerequisite for using nanomaterials in nanoenabled systems should include the ability to assess their presence prior to product sales.

Taking into consideration that environmental nanotechnology has been largely discussed in the past in numerous journals (specialized and not), the proposed special issue will focus on the collection of up-to-date information related to the following topics.

In this special issue, investigators working in relevant research areas, experts from the water industry (producing/offering nanomaterials, and relevant processes), and public authorities will be invited to contribute by submitting relevant original research and review articles.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• State-of-the-art products/patents related to water sector (water and wastewater treatment, sensors for detection of contaminants)
• Description of real case-studies
• Relevant environmental, health, and safety implications (risk assessment)
• Standards and regulatory policies at national/international level in regard to nanomaterials (nanoparticles in the aquatic environment, etc.)
• Other innovations in “water” nanotechnologies
• Elimination of emerging contaminants

Authors can submit their manuscripts via the Manuscript Tracking System athttp://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/jchem/environmental.chemistry/nwwt/.

Lead Guest Editor

• Nadjib Drouiche, Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-Conducteurs Pour l’Energétique (CRTSE), Algiers, Algeria

Guest Editors

• Erhan Demirbas, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze, Turkey
• Konstantinos V. Plakas, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece
• Subramanyan Vasudevan, Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, India
• Farhang Shadman, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA