Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Bimodal UV-Assisted Nano-TiO
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Catalyst—Crumb
Rubber De
vice for Treatment of Contaminated Water
Zaki Ahmad, Robina Farooq, Asad Ullah Khan,
Natasha Hussain, and Ahmed Shaique
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT),
Lahore, Pakistan
CONTENTS
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Some Facts and Figures Related to Pollution ..................................................................... 2
1.3 Experimental .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Results and Discussion ......................................................................................................... 6
1.4.1 Suspended Solid Concentration............................................................................... 6
1.4.2 Photocatalytic Treatment .......................................................................................... 9
1.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 13
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 13
References ....................................................................................................................................... 14
1.1 Introduction
The earth is bestowed with a tremendous amount of freshwater; however, because of
human neglect and adverse climatic factors, dust storms, and policy failure to conserve
freshwater, we are on the verge of freshwater depletion and political conlict. Nearly
780 million people lack access to drinking water, while one-third of the global population
lacks sanitation [1]. In 1 day, 20 million work hours are consumed by women in India and
Africa to collect water for their families. It has been estimated that water demand would
increase by 40% in the next 10 years. By 2025, nearly 1.8 billion people will live in areas
plagued by water scarcity with two-thirds living in water-stressed regions [2]. Freshwater
availability is sobering; only 2.5% of the 70% water covering the earth's surface is avail-
able for drinking. Our living habits have also stressed the water supplies, as witnessed in
the United States where 148 trillion gallons are used per year. The story of freshwater for
drinking has a potentially frightening future.
The neglect to maintain water quality even in regions abundant with freshwater has
further deteriorated the resources. In India, 75% of the surface water is contaminated by
human and animal wastes. In Lahore, Pakistan, once known as a city of clean, healthy
water, the freshwater is now infected with pathogens, resulting in deaths and disease. In
Pakistan, one in four hospital beds is occupied by victims of waterborne diseases.
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