Nanoparticles for the destructive sorption of biological and chemical contaminants

A method for the destructive sorption or destructive chemisorption of a target component, comprising:

• providing a quantity of pellets of an adsorbent material selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, FeO, V.sub.2 O.sub.5, V.sub.2 O.sub.3, Mn.sub.2 O.sub.3, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, NiO, CuO, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZnO and mixtures thereof wherein the adsorbent material contains either reactive atoms selected from the group consisting of halogens and Group I metals stabilized on the surfaces of the adsorbent in an amount of at least two atoms of reactive atoms per square nanometer of adsorbent material surface area or ozone, said pellets having a minimum surface to surface dimension of at least about one millimeter;
• contacting said pellets with a target component selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, bacteria, fungi and viruses;
• said contacting being carried out at a temperature of from about -40.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. and said contacting step causing the destructive sorption or destructive chemisorption of said target component.