Exploring carbonaceous nanomaterials for arsenic and chromium removal from wastewater

The rapidly increasing occurrence of heavy and toxic metals in water bodies harms health and ecosystem globally. Heavy metals accumulated in soil and water bodies enter into the food chain, and their hazardous effects on human health have been investigated extensively. Chromium and arsenic represent the toxic metals widely present in wastewater, and their high concentrations cause a life -threatening impact on human health. Many nano adsorbents have been developed to reduce the level of Cr and As ions from wastewater; however, their efficiencies are low. Recently, various carbonaceous nanomaterials have been developed with extra- ordinary and tunable physical -chemical properties to exhibit outstanding adsorption efficacy for heavy metals. The application of various carbonaceous nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and chemically modified forms and modifications have been discussed in detail in the present review article for the removal of Cr and As ions from wastewater.