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25 Nanobiotechnology – A Green Solution

25.3.5

Society and Education

The global economy is dependent largely on the natural resources and may be renew-

able or nonrenewable. However, climatic changes, natural disasters such as floods,

draught, landslides, depletion of natural resources, put typical challenges in front

of agriculture, food security, human health, and sustainability. But for implementa-

tion of GT in different spheres, it is essential to incorporate the “subject” in higher

education level. To establish this sustainable technology, it is necessary to acquire in

depth the knowledge, skills, techniques associated with the subject along with a deep

research insight. Furthermore, it is also needed to incorporate the moral ethics and

virtues associated with the subject. Green concept, green jobs, green management

are already in high demands. Computer and information technology are already con-

sidered as GTs. Many industrial sectors are being fully automated. Along with the

knowledge and skills associated with the technologies considered as “green” sub-

jects such as organic farming, green medical services, green transport, and tourism

comes under the domain [16].

25.4

Nanotechnologies in Waste Reduction and

Management

The main focus of this chapter is the role of nanotechnology and thus nanobiotech-

nology in waste management. Proper waste disposal is a global problem. Waste

management typically refers to solid wastes landfills, major sources of which are

household waste, commercial wastes from industries, streets, hotels, restaurants,

medical wastes from hospitals and clinics, etc. Microbes act as scavengers and

breakdown wet organic waste to manure. Conventional methods of solid waste dis-

posal or wastewater treatment are either adding further pollutants to environment

or imply high investment cost, poor performance, etc. Since nanotechnology and

nanobiotechnology deals at atomic level, they have shown great promise in contrast

to conventional methods for achieving zero waste economy. They are the emerging

technologies in environment protection industry [32–35].

Nanoscale structures, thus nanomaterials have morphological characteristics,

absorption ability, and power of catalysis greatly different from those at macro scale.

In the “bottom up approach,” nanomaterials and nanostructures are made from

individual atoms or molecules linked together by chemical bonds to form more

complex structures. In “top down approach,” synthesis of nanostructures is made of

larger entities without configuration control at atomic level. “Treatment and reme-

diation,” “sensing and detection,” and “pollution prevention” are the different areas,

where nanostructures the outcomes of nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology are

finding successful outcomes in wastewater treatment [32].

Nanotechnical and nanobiotechnical approaches find both in situ and ex situ

applications in waste management. In in situ applications, metallic nanoparticles

with zero valency find their uses by providing a permeable reactive barrier, creating

a reactive zone on the subsurface of the contaminant. Also in ex situ waste man-

agement nanomaterials find their use, where exploitation is made use of properties