Exploring Water Purification Techniques

Approximately 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. Water scarcity affects every continent, highlighting the need for effective water purification methods.

Nature cleans water through the hydrological cycle using evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Wetlands, mangroves, and forests serve as natural filters, trapping sediments and absorbing pollutants.

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) harnesses UV light to kill pathogens in contaminated water. Transparent plastic bottles filled with water are exposed to sunlight for 6 hours, effectively improving water quality.

Graphene-based filters, just one atom thick, can effectively remove nanoparticles, organic molecules, and even salt from seawater, potentially transforming desalination and water purification processes.

Plants like the water hyacinth, with its vast root system, are used in phytoremediation to absorb toxins and heavy metals from polluted waters, offering a sustainable cleanup strategy.

Electrocoagulation introduces electric currents to water, causing contaminants to coagulate and be removed more easily. This method is effective against a variety of pollutants, including industrial effluent.

In arid regions, fog harvesting systems collect water droplets from fog, using large nets. This innovative approach can provide fresh water without the need for groundwater or rain.

Ancient Egyptians used crushed seeds of the Moringa tree to purify water, reducing bacteria by up to 99%—a method still effective today.