Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
21
Bio-andNanotechnologyOfferHigh
Performan
ceforWaterCleanup
J.RichardSchorr,SuvankarSengupta,andRichardHelferich
MetaMateriaTechnologiesLLC,Columbus,Ohio,USA
CONTENTS
21.1. The.Problem...................................................................................................................... 415
21.2. Bioremediation.................................................................................................................. 416
21.3. Nanotechnology............................................................................................................... 417
21.4. Filtration.Media................................................................................................................ 419
21.5. Nano-Enabled.Approach................................................................................................. 421
21.6. Application.Examples...................................................................................................... 422
21.7. Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 425
References..................................................................................................................................... 425
21.1 TheProblem
Clean.water.is,.of.course,.an.essential.element.for.human.existence,.and.increasingly,.in.
many.parts.of.the.world,.demand.is.fast.exceeding.supply.
1
.While.water.is.plentiful,.clean,.
fresh.water.for.human.consumption.is.often.limited..It.is.estimated.that.only.two.drops.of.
every.gallon.of.water.on.the.planet.are.available.for.human.consumption..
Access to potable
water
.is.recognized.as.an.important.and.growing.priority,.and.a.major.challenge.in.many.
parts.of.the.world..Eighty.percent.of.all.the.diseases.you.could.name.would.be.wiped.out.
if.you.just.gave.people.clean.water,.and.it.has.been.suggested.that.in.the.21st.century,.clean.
water.will.be.delivered.by.entrepreneurs.
Drinking. water. is. being. used. faster. than. it. is. replenished.. Population. increases. of. 80.
million. people. per. year. make. water. treatment. a. critical. component. of. the. overall. water.
supply..Population.growth.is.estimated.at.double.the.production.of.new.water.resources..
The.United.Nations.describes.serious.water.shortages.in.more.than.20.countries,.and.this.
will.increase.in.the.coming.decades.since.85%.of.the.world.population.lives.in.the.drier.
countries..Even.in.the.United.States.critical.water.shortages.are.projected.to.occur.in.some.
municipalities. by. 2030.. According. to. the. United. Nations,. more. than. 1. billion. people. on.
earth.already.lack.access.to.clean.drinking.water.
1
.Limited.availability,.with.conventional.
cleanup.technologies.often.constrained.by.the.cost.of.equipment.and.the.energy.required.
to.operate.it,.combined.with.a.growing.population,.is.a.recipe.for.conlict.
2
Cleanup.of.water.is.essential..In.addition.to.natural.contaminants,.anthropogenic.con-
taminants.ranging.from.disease.to.modern.chemicals.are.found.in.supplies.we.all.draw.
from. for. drinking. water.. The. virtual. elimination. of. typhoid. in. irst. world. countries—
cited.as.a.medical.miracle—is.actually.due.to.the.engineering.treatment.of.public.water.
415
