Nanomaterials for the adsorptive treatment of Hg(II) ions from water.

The prolific growth of modern industrial practices has been accompanied by the extensive release of effluents rich in toxic byproducts (e.g., mercury). Therefore, the abatement of such byproducts has become a crucial prophylactic measure to protect human health, ecosystems, and food resources. Although several conventional techniques are available, it is highly desirable to develop more efficient and economical adsorbents for such application. In this regard, the development of multifunctional, tailorable, and advanced materials with very large surface areas and flexible surface active sites is desirable to expand effective options available for abatement technology. This review explores recent trends and advancements in nanomaterial technology for the mitigation of mercury. Further, the current hindrances and future prospects in related research fields are discussed in depth.This research acknowledges the support made by the R&D Center for Green Patrol Technologies through the R&D for Global Top Environmental Technologies funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) as well as by a grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (Grant No: 2016R1E1A1A01940995). KHK also acknowledges support made by the Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2015001950001) as part of "The Chemical Accident Prevention Technology Development Project" and the support of "Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Grant No: PJ012521032018)" Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea