Technological Solutions for Water Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects: Towards a Water-secure India
This book provides an overview of technical sustainable water management in the Global South, mainly in India, and is structured in five sections:
The current status and challenges for sustainable water management in India
New-age materials for water and wastewater treatment
New technologies for water and wastewater treatment
Sensors for water quality monitoring
Urban water management
Section 1 provides the latest information about the status and challenges for sustainable water management in India from the perspective of water quality, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment, urban water infrastructure and policy and governance towards water security. Section 2 discusses new framework solids for water purification, new materials for arsenic and fluoride removal, nanocomposites for water and wastewater treatment and removal of hazardous materials, and toxicity of these materials. Section 3 presents the new technologies developed for water and wastewater treatment; dealing with pulsed power technology, constructed wetlands, nutrient recovery, low-cost filters and pollution abatement using waste derived materials. Section 4 focuses on sensors, including the development of low-cost colorimetric sensors for eutrophying ions, sensors for conductivity and flow parameters, and multi-analyte assessment for water quality. Finally, Section 5 addresses the issues related to urban water infrastructure, sustainable urban drainage and integrated flood and water scarcity management.
This section also discusses virtual water.
The unique feature of this edited volume is its special perspective on emerging economies in the Global South, such as India. It provides information about adaption of technologies, development of new technologies, and management practices which are context driven and region specific. It also deals with economical and easy to use sensors for large-scale monitoring of water quality and water quantity parameters.
ISBN: 9781789063707 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781789063714 (eBook)
Chapter 13: Application of engineered natural treatment systems for pollution abatement
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Published:November 2023
Manthiram Karthik Ravichandran, Mohammed Iqbal Thayyil, Ligy Philip, 2023. "Application of engineered natural treatment systems for pollution abatement", Technological Solutions for Water Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects: Towards a Water-secure India, Ligy Philip, Thalappil Pradeep, S. Murty Bhallamudi
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In recent years, the availability of freshwater resources has been depleting due to increased water consumption by the growing population worldwide. In this regard, the treatment and reuse of wastewater aid in achieving water security and environmental protection. In low-income countries of the Global South, the infrastructure for water and sanitation is neither sufficient nor sustainable to meet current and future demands. This lack of resources has caused numerous communities in these countries to face difficulties in obtaining clean water, sanitation and hygiene services. The water treatment landscape in India is characterized by a lack of infrastructure and resources, with only 37% of the generated sewage getting treated. The cost of treatment is significantly high, with a large portion of the total expense going towards the infrastructure needed to collect and transport sewage to centralized treatment plants. Also, these systems demand substantial operational and maintenance costs. In addition, the traditional sewage treatment plants are not designed for the removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) like pharmaceuticals and personal care products, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in wastewater systems. In this context, engineered natural treatment systems (ENTS) are emerging as a viable wastewater treatment and reuse option. In particular, constructed wetlands (CWs) are low-cost, passive natural treatment options with minimal capital investment and technological intervention. Furthermore, their treatment potential and ecosystem services have been proven effective in removing ECs along with organic pollutants and nutrients. This makes them an ideal option for sustainable water treatment and reuse, particularly in the low-income countries of the Global South. This chapter focuses on the performance of CWs in removing a wide range of pollutants from municipal wastewater. Special attention is given to ECs in wastewater systems and their fate and removal mechanisms in the CWs. This study also summarizes some of the successful practical models for the application of ENTS.