Enhancing chromium removal and recovery from industrial wastewater using sustainable and efficient nanomaterial: A review

Water contamination can be detrimental to the human health due to higher concentration of carcinogenic heavy metals such as chromium (Cr) in the wastewater. Many traditional methods are being employed in wastewater treatment plants for Cr removal to control the environmental impacts. Such methods include ion exchange, coagulation, membrane filtration, and chemical precipitation and microbial degradation. Recent advances in materials science and green chemistry have led to the development of nanomaterial that possess high specific surface areas and multiple functions, making them suitable for removing metals such as Cr from wastewater. Literature shows that the most efficient, effective, clean, and long-lasting approach for removing heavy metals from wastewater involves adsorbing heavy metals onto the surface of nanomaterial. This review assesses the removal methods of Cr from wastewater, advantages and disadvantages of using nanomaterial to remove Cr from wastewater and potential negative impacts on human health. The latest trends and developments in Cr removal strategies using nanomaterial adsorption are also explored in the present review. •Nanomaterials have great potential for efficient Cr removal from wastewater.•Present work presents major experimental conditions influencing Cr removal and recovery from wastewater.•Efficient nanomaterials on the basis of published publications have been found for effective chromium removal from wastewater.•Adsorption techniques are seen to be preferable to other methods because they ecofriendly, and sustainable.•The optimized chromium removal conditions used on this topic are compiled here.