Nanotechnology in general and nanomaterials in particular promise to provide many solutions to environmental issues through sensing technologies to detect pollutants, photocatalysts and separation membranes to remove pollutants, catalysts to provide cleaner production processes and membranes for desalination. On the flipside, nanomaterials through their use and production provide a new range of potential environmental pollutants and toxicological agents.

The Environmental Technologies Program of the Centre addresses both sides of the issues related to the environment and nanotechnology. The program is very active in environmental remediation and detection technologies through research projects related to photocatalysis using titanium dioxide and uniquely functionalised titanium dioxide, volatile organic compound (VOC) removal using photocatalytically integrated membranes, desalination membranes and boron nitride and nanoparticle based sensing technologies. All these projects employ uniquely designed and modified nanomaterials developed by Centre staff.

Projects addressing the issues nanomaterial toxicology and pollution are also prevalent with emphasis on the toxicity of nanoparticles towards mammalian cells and within the environment and through the establishment of an entire nanotoxicology program for establishing standardised nanotoxicological tests as well as addressing the nanotoxicology of specific particles. The emphasis on the coexistence of nanomaterial development with nanotoxicological assessment makes the symbiosis of knowledge between these two directions the cornerstone of the Environmental Technologies Program.