Water decontamination: what is and methods

Water decontamination: what is and methods

By Dr. Kyle Muller

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), among the main primary activities that pollute the water on the planet, industrial agriculture and livestock stand out, which are highly enhanced by very harmful pollutants for the quality of the waters, such as nitrates and phosphates. In different corners of the planet, the ground and superficial waters that suffer pollution by residues of human activities are more and more Water pollution solutions It is one of the main worldwide strategies to continue using this precious good.

If you want to deepen this subject, in this Ecology article you will find detailed information about What is the decontamination of water, methods and importance.

What is water decontamination – definition

The Decontamination of water includes all those methodologies and strategies that allow purify water which shows indications of different types of pollution, with the aim of turning it into a usable resource for different uses. Thus, the Water decontamination systems They are essential for the optimal and effective reuse of this natural resource that is increasingly scarcity and associated hazards.

In the next sections we will see what the methods are to decontaminate the most used waters, making special allusion to those who use ecological alternatives to the decontamination of wastewater, thus avoiding the use of decontaminant artificial chemical processes, which entail associated environmental damage.

In addition, we recommend you read these other articles on the causes and consequences of water pollution and how to avoid water pollution.

Water decontamination: what is and methods - What is the decontamination of water - definition

Water decontamination methods

The Water purification techniques They are increasingly sophisticated and modern, within which we can find different alternatives according to the type of industry and the use of the waters that have been contaminated. Thus, among the main solutions for water pollution we can find:

  • Decontamination of water with aquatic plants.
  • Decontamination of water with bacteria.
  • Decontamination of water with microorganisms.
  • Decontamination of water with solar energy.

Decontamination of water with aquatic plants

The use of aquatic plants or algae for water decontamination is a technique characterized by its high performance and ecological methodology, that is, lacking pollutant chemicals.

Through the calls “algae and bacteria consortiums“, certain species of aquatic plants interact by symbiosis with specific bacteria, being able, together, to eliminate contaminating agents from the waters through bioremediation processes. Complementing for the exchange of carbon and nitrogen, as well as for the capture of nutrients, ensure their joint survival in environments in which they would not be able to survive individually, while generating indirect benefits: indirect benefits: indirect benefits: indirect benefits: indirect benefits: indirect benefits: Decontamination of water and biomass generationsubsequently used as raw material to produce biofertilizers.

Decontamination of water with bacteria

In addition to their role in the formation of consortiums with algae that we have seen in the previous section, bacteria contribute decisively with their metabolic activities to the maintenance of water biogeochemical cycles. They are capable of eliminating nitrates and phosphates, as well as hardly biodegradable chemicals, such as pesticides and hydrocarbons.

The Water decontamination techniques used by bacteria They are based on the accumulation of intracellular deposits of the compounds and chemical substances that, being insoluble, cause serious pollution in natural water resources, as well as diseases in human beings, animals and plants.

A clear example of the role played by bacteria in water decontamination is that of bacteria capable of degrade hydrocarbons that are found in oil, this being the main source of water pollution by biosphere hydrocarbons.

Water decontamination: what is and methods - decontamination of water with bacteria

Decontamination of water with microorganisms

Different groups of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms They are commonly used in biological reactors and water decontamination stations.

Thanks to their ability to eliminate nitrogen and phosphorus from the waters, microorganisms constitute one of the Biological treatments of water decontamination more used. They generally favor the elimination of compounds and chemical elements through sludge formation, which are subsequently treated and purified in purifying stations through biodegradable decontamination treatments.

Decontamination of water with solar energy

Within the most sophisticated and innovative techniques for Decontamination of waterthe use of solar energy appears. Through the application of photocatalysis processes based on the Use of sunlighttreatment, decontamination and even reuse of contaminated water is possible.

These contaminated waters are usually sewage of industrial origin, to which the application of radiation with germicidal use is useful, that is, capable of inhibiting the reproduction of organisms responsible for water pollution.

Why is water decontamination important

The Decontamination of water It is currently included as one of the fundamental measures to guarantee The availability and use of drinking water on a planetary scale. Numerous and diverse problems, such as people’s health, fertile soil scarcity for the cultivation and contamination of natural water resources, are potentially harmful if they do not have adequate treatments and strategies of decontamination.

In this way, it is important to take into account both those strategies focused on How to avoid water pollution (Based on the conservation and protection of natural water resources as a source of supply), as well as those other strategies linked to the decontamination of water, in which both physical and biological processes intervene, as chemical and biological, depending on the cause of said pollution.

Finally, we invite you to read this other article about the solutions to water pollution and see this video about it.

If you want to read more articles similar to Water decontamination: what is and methodswe recommend that you enter our pollution category.

Literature
  • Innovation and qualification, SL & Target Advisores, SL (2016) External in Environmental Management (2nd Edition). Editorial IC, PP: 109-171.
  • Well, JL; SASTRE, H. & Lavin, Ag (1997) Pollution and Environmental Engineering: Water pollution. Foundation for the promotion in Asturias of applied scientific research and technology (Ficht)pp: 196-469.
Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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