Nanoadsorbents as an effective wastewater treatment candidate for pharmaceutical contaminants; towards sustainable policy development

Access to clean water is one of the most basic human needs for health and well-being and it is accepted as the 6th goal of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Emerging Contaminants from pharmaceutical compounds are one of the main pollutants of water bodies all over the world. Efficient and sustainable treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants is a challenging issue across the globe as these contaminants have complex chemical compositions that are poisonous to living beings. In addition, most of the treatment practices are ineffective or cost prohibitive. Hence, the effective removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from water bodies is important in enhancing access to safe water for people across the world. This review discusses the recent development of innovative applications of nanotechnology-based adsorption techniques currently practiced in the water treatment process, with the objective of reviewing different variants of nanoadsorbents utilized for removing pharmaceutical contaminants from water bodies. Nonadsorbents such as Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their unique features, were found to have comparably higher potential to efficiently remove pharmaceutical wastes from water bodies. This review audit can be implemented in associated policy decisions and practices in the water treatment industry to shift contemporary emphasis from inefficient traditional methods to focus on developing cost-effective CNT treatments for pharmaceutical pollution. Implementing such treatment interventions as policies will help to reach the SDGs for the betterment of the world.