Nanotechnology Applications for Clean Water

Foreword

Mihail C. Roco

U.S. National Science Foundation, and U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative

The Potential of Nanotechnology for Clean Water Resources

Current global development is not sustainable over the long term. Every major ecosystem is under threat at different timescales, impacting water, food, energy, biodiversity, and mineral resources—all exacerbated by the population growth and climate change. It has been estimated that about 1.1 billion people are now at risk from a lack of clean water and about 35 percent of people in the developing world die from water-related problems. If in 2008 only a few countries have a water supply deficit, it is estimated that by 2025, based on the extrapolation of current data, more than ...