Less Energy, Cleaner Water

All water, prior to being treated, contains some amount of waste in suspension. The removal of said waste, whether it be natural (as in water coming from a source such as a river) or true human waste water, is the goal of purification treatment plants. Recently, the technology used to eliminate harmful products from water has received a boost from an engineer at the Missouri University of Science & Technology.

The new system, developed by Dr. Jianmin Wang, has improved existing technology on two fronts. The amount of energy used in waste water treatment seems minimal when compared to total national energy consumption, but any energy savings makes systems more affordable in poorer regions of the US and around the world. An anaerobic system, one which does not require the amount of oxygen of traditional aeration technology, could cut energy requirements by 10%. Wang has also used this system to significantly reduce the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen byproducts. Current systems have been known to cause adverse environmental reactions such as algae blooms due to excess phosphorous and nitrogen contamination.

Other systems being developed by Dr. Wang would allow soldiers on the battlefield to safely turn waste water into potable water, reduce the size of a treatment plant so that it could be transported to regions in need of waste water management and increase the water quality of the effluent. These advances further the dream of providing clean drinking water worldwide the absence of which is a primary contributor to disease spread and poverty. The scarcity of clean water could be greatly lessened if "used water" sources could be cleaned given the decreased energy requirements required by Dr. Wang's inventions.

Reference

Missouri University of Science and Technology. (2015, February 20). System to turn wastewater into fresh water developed. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 20, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150220110832.htm

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