<p>This review provides a current and comprehensive discussion of the use of inorganic nanomaterials for the remediation of a range of water-borne contaminants including textile dyes, oil, heavy metals, and microplastics among others. In particular, this work aims to provide a greater deal of focus on the areas of remediation themselves, providing a strong groundwork of recent literature for each of the contaminant categories and how a range of inorganic nanomaterials are used to treat them. This work also aims to discuss the sustainability of these materials themselves including synthesis methods, sustainability of the materials used and their life cycle including synthesis and risk of leaching. In addition, this review discusses issues of scalability and viability of these materials in industry and for larger scale remediation efforts.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>