We can draw this conclusion based on the discussion we started. As it strives to provide safe and clean water for various purposes, the water treatment industry faces a number of challenges and issues. Among the most serious issues are:
Contaminant Diversity: The presence of a wide range of contaminants, such as industrial pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants, presents a significant challenge. Water treatment with a wide range of pollutants necessitates advanced and specialised treatment methods.
Resource Intensity: Water treatment processes often require substantial energy and resources. Balancing the need for effective treatment with sustainable and energy-efficient practices is an ongoing challenge.
Emerging Contaminants: Identifying and regulating emerging contaminants, such as certain pharmaceuticals and personal care products, is an ongoing challenge. The development of effective treatment methods for these compounds is a continuing area of study.
But what are the ways to overcome these issues? We can address the challenges in the water treatment industry which involves a combination of technological advancements, policy initiatives, and strategic management approaches:
Advanced Treatment Technologies: Investing in advanced treatment technology research and development is critical. This includes the development of effective methods for removing emerging contaminants as well as the use of cutting-edge filtration and purification techniques.
Energy Efficiency Measures: Energy-efficient practices and the use of renewable energy sources in water treatment processes can help reduce resource intensity and the environmental impact of water treatment facilities.
Research and Innovation: Continuous research and innovation are critical in developing new treatment methods, improving existing technologies, and dealing with emerging contaminants. Collaboration between academia, industry, and government institutions has the potential to accelerate progress in this area.
As for self-reflection, I learned a lot from this industrial water treatment in which It's still new to me because these exposures make me more aware of my surroundings where even the smallest things can affect to something. For the purposes of this research, in the context of water treatment, the manufacturing of colloid-related products can indeed face several challenges which are:
Colloidal Iron Compounds: Iron compounds, especially in their colloidal forms, can cause a wide range of problems in produced water treatment. These include emulsion stabilization, oil-coated solids, pad formation in separators, pipeline solids, and plugging of water disposal formations.
Chemical Coagulants: Although chemical coagulants are efficient in water treatment, they are usually expensive, toxic, associated with health issues, and thus non-sustainable.
To address these issues, here are some suggestions:
1. Natural Coagulants: A sustainable alternative to chemical coagulants is the use of natural coagulants. They are readily available, economical, easy to use, biodegradable, non-toxic, eco-friendly, effective, and generate lower sludge volumes.
2. Coagulation and Flocculation: These processes are essential parts of drinking water treatment as well as wastewater treatment. The use of aluminum and iron coagulants, which form multi-charged polynuclear complexes with enhanced adsorption characteristics, can be effective. There has been considerable development of pre-hydrolyzed inorganic coagulants, based on both aluminum and iron, to produce the correct hydrolysis species regardless of the process conditions during treatment.