Growth Opportunities in Water Management Technologies for Efficient Removal of Recalcitrant Contaminants

Growth Opportunities in Water Management Technologies for Efficient Removal of Recalcitrant Contaminants

According to the World Health Organization, groundwater and surface water are commonly contaminated with heavy metals and other emerging contaminants. For instance, arsenic is present in very high concentrations (more than 10 micrograms per liter) in groundwater in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam, India, and China, affecting the drinking water of about 140 million people. An additional 220 million people are at a high risk of exposure to high concentrations of arsenic and other recalcitrant contaminants in groundwater.

Large-scale water treatment and common effluent wastewater treatment plants often use outdated and ineffective processes to remove heavy metals and recalcitrant contaminants from treated effluents that are being released into bodies of water and groundwater. Advanced wastewater treatment technologies such as foam fractionation, non-thermal plasma, catalytic ozonation, ion exchange, and bioremediation processes for efficient separation and degradation of toxic contaminants can minimize the effects on the environment and human health.

The research study for the efficient removal of recalcitrant contaminants includes

an overview of physical, chemical, and biological-based water and wastewater treatment technologies, current trends, and factors driving the development and use of water management technologies;

a look at the major stakeholders in the treatment technology landscape;

a techno-economic analysis of water management technologies for the removal and degradation of recalcitrant contaminants; and

the patent landscape and growth opportunities enabling water and wastewater treatment technologies."