Treating Water Pollution using Nanotechnology!

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Treating Water Pollution using Nanotechnology!
by Shreya Kaushik \| 18-02-2023 19:13 0
According to data, in the past 60 years, about 60% of the Earth’s ecosystem has been degraded. An example of one such ecosystem is Najafgarh Drain which turns into a drain from Sahibi River after it enters New Delhi and merges with River Yamuna. Najafgarh Drain which is known as one of the most polluted water bodies in the Delhi. It is one of the major contributors to water pollution in river Yamuna, adding 60% of the total waste and 81.36 Tons of BOD per day. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand which tells the amount of oxygen required by the microorganisms for the breakdown of organic matter, when increased in excessive amounts in the stream causes suffocation of the aquatic organisms and depletion of oxygen. The level of BOD in Najafgarh Drain is 75 mg/l whereas the suitable one for any water body is less than 1 mg/l. The Chemical Oxygen Demand which tells the amount of oxygen required by the microorganisms for the breakdown of organic matter via oxidation when increased in amount causes concern for water pollution by organic matter. Whereas the increased amount of Nitrate level causes eutrophication and excessive aquatic plant growth, paving the way to depletion of oxygen and blocking sunlight to reach the deeper part of the stream. The level of COD in Najafgarh Drain is 550 mg/l and Nitrate is 234.56 mg/l. After knowing the magnitude of the problem, I started looking for a solution that is eco-friendly, has simplicity, portability, sustainability, practicability of the replication and is cost effective. And, after days of jumping from one solution to another, I found an informed approach known as An Eco-Friendly Floating Membrane. An Eco-Friendly Floating Membrane is the combination of two solutions which include constructed floating wetland and a nanocellulose-based filtration membrane. The constructed floating wetland works on the application of bioremediation where a particular type of aquatic plant is introduced are grown on the biomatrix and their protruding roots help remove contaminants from the water. Their abilities include the removal of heavy metals, and absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, organic matter, and toxic substances. While, Nanocellulose as the name suggests refers to nano-structured cellulose and is obtained from plant matter commonly from wood pulp. The process of nanocellulose extraction includes the removal of noncellulose impurities first using a homogenizer, then beating the remaining cellulose fiber gently, allowing the fiber to make a thick paste of needles like cellulose fibrils, the paste obtained is shaped and readily used to laminate surfaces. They are then kept in water suspension to avoid clumps. The other processes include acid hydrolysis and homogenization. The properties of nanocellulose include lightweight, electrically conductive, and non-toxic, its crystalline form is transparent and gas impermeable can be produced in large quantities in a cost-effective manner, and has a very high tensile strength equal. Nanocellulose membranes and filters have been shown to remove heavy metals, microbes, dyes, and pesticides. When we attach these two eco-friendly innovations we get an eco-friendly floating membrane where the biomatrix is made up of nanocellulose having layers of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. The selected aquatic plants via bioremediation and phytoremediation are inserted between the biomatrix. This provides a strong filtration system for water bodies because both the plants and membrane are involved in the process and have specific filtration abilities ranging from toxic substances to heavy metals to killing algal growth. The solution is easily implementable and cost-effective. Instead of giving big-big speeches, it is time for us to take action and so with this solution, I am taking small steps towards investment in our planet through green innovation.

Former E-gen Ambassador Shreya Kaushik