This review discusses the brief of health problem associated with the arsenic exposure found in drinking water. This review also discusses the shortcomings associated with the traditional methods, advantages with adsorption process and the new approaches towards the advance and effective techniques. The novelty of present study is a collection of latest literature and reports which comprises the latest advances made in the nanoparticles and nano-composites for the efficient removal of arsenic from aqueous medium. The mechanism of interaction of arsenic and nanomaterials surface is discussed in this novel review. The latest and novel approaches towards avoiding the preoxidation step for arsenite removal using oxidants is also highlighted, and the large numbers of nanomaterials having the photo catalytic properties and functionalities for simultaneous oxidation of arsenite to arsenate and adsorption of both forms, is also deliberated. No previous literatures have discussed the detail of oxidation of arsenite to arsenate using the nanomaterials having photocatalytic activities. Overall, this review highlights and provides an overview, advantages and features of the newly developed nanomaterials comprising virgin zero valent metallic nanoparticles, metal oxides, metal doped oxides, binary metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, functionalized metal oxides and organic-inorganic nanocomposites for arsenic removal. The comparative evaluation of cited nanomaterials and low-cost, and others micro/nano-sized adsorbent has also been also comprised. The disadvantages associated with the existing technology are deeply highlighted and future development and prospects have been discussed in depth. Therefore, this review article will definitely contribute a great role to the researches by developing the advanced materials to remove all shortcomings associated with the existing technologies. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.