Heavy Metals Contamination: Environmental Threats and Removal Using g-C₃N₄ Nanosheets

The majority of the materials in our environment are in bulk form and are made up of one or more elements or their chemical compounds. Materials are typically found in three states in nature: solid, liquid, and gaseous. Depending on how the atoms or molecules are arranged, the materials that exist in solid form can be roughly divided into two groups: crystalline and non-crystalline solids. Atoms or molecules are arranged in regular, periodic patterns in crystalline structures. The majority of solids are typically crystalline. The reason for this is that when ordered structures are formed, more energy is released than when disordered structures are formed. Because low-energy states are more stable according to natural principles, solids tend to adopt crystalline structures, which are low-energy states. Single crystals and polycrystalline solids are the two main categories into which crystalline solids are further divided. In contrast to a polycrystalline solid, which is made up of an ...

With globalization and rapid increase of population, especially in developing countries, the crisis of fresh water availability and its quality has become one of the major concerns of this decade. Contamination of natural fresh water resources by harmful substances makes the water undrinkable and toxic to ecosystems. Therefore, wastewater management has recently gained global attention as a major challenge for preserving natural water resources. To meet the basic requirements of such a huge population in developing countries, which is continuously growing, rapid growth across various industries and the agricultural sector has been observed. Because of the tremendous growth of small and large industries over the past two decades, water pollution has increased rapidly in developing nations such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In this context, wastewater treatment has become crucial in recent times, particularly for developing nations. Waste water treatment in India has drawn the atte...

Nanomaterials, with dimensions below 100 nm, usually exhibit distinct physical and chemical properties compared with their bulk counterparts due to their small size, high surface area, and quantum confinement effects. A wide range of industries, including electronics, energy storage, healthcare, and forensics, has recently shown significant interest in nanomaterials. In forensic research, nanotechnology has emerged as a revolutionary technique, particularly for enhancing the visibility of latent fingerprints. One of the most significant and prevalent forms of evidence in forensic investigations is latent fingerprints. These prints are composed of natural skin secretions, including perspiration, oils, and other organic materials inadvertently left on a surface. Fingerprints provide unmistakable proof of an individual and can be used to identify them due to their distinctiveness and permanence. Nevertheless, these prints must be improved for vision because they are sometimes invisible to...

Due to the rapid growth of industries and urbanization, which aim to fulfill human needs, a notable increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels has been observed over the past two decades. In this regard, numerous human-made sources, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, power generation, industrial activities, transportation, and infrastructure development, are primarily responsible for the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. It is worth noting that, compared to pre-industrial periods, the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is currently more than 50% higher. This significant rise in CO 2 levels in the atmosphere will have a wide range of adverse effects, particularly on the environment, ecosystems, weather patterns, and human health. Among several identified greenhouse gases, CO2 exhibits a significant greenhouse effect by trapping heat in the atmosphere for a longer time. Therefore, the sharp rise of CO 2 levels beyond the perm...

Developing countries have experienced rapid growth in their human populations, as well as a sharp increase in energy demand and consumption, emerging as a significant driving force for environmental degradation. In addition, urbanization, intensive mining operations, the growth of industrial hubs, infrastructure development, and the overuse of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in agricultural activities have all contributed to the acceleration of ecosystem degradation in an attempt to sustain an expanding population and raise living standards. Inadequate waste management techniques in several expanding towns in India have become a major source of heavy metal leakage into aquatic ecosystems in recent times, severely degrading the environment. Heavy metals with high density and weight have been identified as environmental pollutants due to their high toxicity level and ability to cause serious health issues if accumulated in the human body. Heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, A...