Emerging Trends in Wastewater Treatment Technologies

The wastewater treatment technology may vary depending on factors such as the volume and quality of the wastewater, available resources, local regulations, and environmental conditions. However, the emerging technologies well-suited to the Indian context are as follows:

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): These are group of chemical and physical processes that use highly reactive oxidants to remove organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater.

Constructed Wetlands: These are engineered systems that utilize vegetation, soil, and microorganisms to remove pollutants from wastewater before it is returned to the environment.

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs): This technique harness metabolic activity of specific microorganisms to generate electricity, thereby promoting treatment of wastewater.

Bioelectrochemical System (BESs): This method is similar to MFCs, but the electrode configuration is quite complex here and it employs various species of microbes to treat wastewater.

Membrane Bioreactors (MBR): It combines biological treatment with membrane filtration.

Hybrid System (Combination of advanced and conventional methods): By combining the strengths of multiple treatment technologies, hybrid systems can achieve higher levels of treatment efficiency, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to individual systems.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Optimization & Control: It is used to monitor and control treatment processes, optimize energy consumption, predict and prevent process failures & improve decision making.

In order to identify the most ideal treatment solution, it is important to conduct a detailed analysis (qualitative and quantitative) of local conditions and requirements which may vary on geographical grounds as well as level of contamination.