Maintaining and improving soil, water, and air quality represent some of the most formidable challenges facing global society in the 21st century. Pollutants from such diverse sources as oil and chemical spills, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, abandoned industrial and mining sites, and airborne gaseous and particulate matter from automobiles exacerbate the situation on a daily basis. Detecting and treating existing contaminants and preventing new pollution are among the challenges. The aggregate financial burden for improving air, water, and soil quality is truly staggering (1). In light of these enormous and complex challenges, it is perhaps ironic that one prospective solution is diminutive in size but immensely powerful in capacity.
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