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How Nature can help Clean Up Polluted Waterways

Posted on by dishanth
How Nature can help Clean Up Polluted Waterways

Bivalves: Nature’s Water Filter:

One of nature’s unsung heroes in water remediation is the humble bivalve. Clams, mussels, and other bivalves are exceptional filter feeders that can play a crucial role in improving water quality. These amazing creatures can filter large volumes of water, removing suspended particles, nutrients, and contaminants in the process. For example, a single adult freshwater mussel can filter up to 15 litres of water daily! That’s like having a tiny water treatment plant in our rivers and lakes.

Bivalves work their magic by drawing in water through their siphons and extracting food particles as the water passes through their gills. They consume organic matter, algae, and even bacteria, effectively reducing excess nutrients in the water that can cause harmful algal blooms and other water quality issues. Moreover, bivalves can also accumulate heavy metals and other pollutants in their tissues, effectively removing these contaminants from the water and sequestering them in their shells or bodies.

Research has shown that bivalves can be used as a natural tool in ecological restoration projects to enhance water filtration and improve water quality. For example, in Chesapeake Bay, USA, oyster reefs have been constructed to help filter excess nutrients and sediment from the water, thereby promoting a healthier ecosystem. Similar efforts are being made in other parts of the world, such as the Netherlands and China, where mussels are being used to clean up polluted waterways.

Aquatic Plants: Nature’s Green Cleaners:

Aquatic plants, such as reeds, cattails, and water hyacinths, are another powerful tool nature has provided us to clean up polluted waterways. These green wonders provide habitat and food for many aquatic species and act as natural purifiers for our water bodies.

Aquatic plants are known for absorbing excess nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, which are major pollutants in water bodies. Through a process called uptake, aquatic plants draw in these nutrients from the water column and store them in their tissues. This helps to reduce nutrient levels, which can otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms and deplete oxygen in the water, leading to fish kills and other ecological imbalances.

Aquatic plants also help to stabilize shorelines and reduce erosion. Their extensive root systems anchor the soil and prevent sediments from being washed into the water, thereby reducing sedimentation and turbidity. This is particularly important in urban areas where runoff from paved surfaces and agricultural fields can carry pollutants into our waterways.

Constructed wetlands, which are artificial systems designed to mimic the functions of natural wetlands, often utilize aquatic plants as a natural means of water treatment. These systems use a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes, including the uptake of nutrients by aquatic plants, to remove pollutants from the water. Constructed wetlands have been successfully used in various parts of the world, such as the United States, Europe, and China, to treat wastewater, stormwater, and agricultural runoff, among other types of water pollution.

Fish: Nature’s Clean-Up Crew:

When it comes to cleaning up polluted waterways, fish are also important players in nature’s clean-up crew. Many fish species, such as catfish, carp, and tilapia, are known for their ability to consume excess algae and organic matter in the water. This helps to prevent algal blooms and reduce the accumulation of organic debris, which can otherwise degrade water quality and harm aquatic life.

For example, in Lake Taihu in China, which has been plagued by severe water pollution and harmful algal blooms, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) have been introduced as a biological control method. These fish feed on the excess algae in the water, helping to reduce the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and improve water quality.

Fish can also be used in aquaculture systems for water purification. Aquaponics, for instance, is a sustainable system that combines fish farming with hydroponic plant cultivation. The fish produce waste that is converted into nutrients for the plants, which in turn filter the water and provide a clean environment for the fish. This mutually beneficial relationship between fish and plants can be a powerful tool for sustainable food production.

Other Natural Methods:

Besides bivalves, aquatic plants, and fish, several other natural methods can be harnessed to clean up polluted waterways. For example, bacteria and microorganisms naturally occurring in water bodies play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter and contaminants, helping to improve water quality. Wetlands, marshes, and other natural habitats act as filters, trapping sediment and pollutants before entering water bodies.

In addition, land management practices, such as riparian buffers and conservation tillage, can help prevent soil erosion and reduce nutrient runoff into water bodies. Riparian buffers are strips of vegetation along the banks of rivers and streams that act as natural filters, trapping sediment and absorbing nutrients before they enter the water. Conservation tillage techniques, on the other hand, minimize soil disturbance and help to retain soil structure, reducing erosion and nutrient runoff.

Nature has provided us with some incredible tools to clean up polluted waterways. Bivalves, aquatic plants, fish, bacteria, microorganisms, wetlands, and land management practices improve water quality and restore our precious water resources. These natural methods offer sustainable and eco-friendly solutions to combat water pollution without relying solely on costly and energy-intensive human-made technologies.

It’s essential that we recognize the value of these natural tools and incorporate them into our efforts to protect and restore our water bodies. Conservation and restoration projects that harness the power of nature can not only help clean up polluted waterways, promote biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, and provide long-term solutions for sustainable water management.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

This tiny solar-powered factory cleans up dirty water

Posted on by dishanth
This tiny solar-powered factory cleans up dirty water

The world’s first completely solar-powered beverage micro-factory started its journey in the spring of 2020, when Swedish startup Wayout International waved its container-sized machine goodbye from the port of Norrköping, south of Stockholm.

With shipping options already radically reduced by Covid-19, the micro-factory set out across the Baltic, Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, via the Suez Canal, stopping by Saudi Arabia, India and Sri Lanka, landing at last in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. From there, it went by truck through the developing rural landscape, over the Ngorongoro crater wall at 2,640 metres above sea level, across the great Namiri plains and up to the Mara river. It’s a big change of scene from a noisy industrial site in Sweden to a peaceful eco-tourism camp in northern Serengeti.

It had taken Wayout 18 months to go from idea to complete product. The result is a module that converts sunshine and local groundwater into pristine, potable water – and which can also produce premium craft beer and soft drinks. A single module puts out 150,000 litres of clean, remineralised water per month and lets whoever operates it serve up to eight different types of drinks through the integrated tap station. The micro-famicro-factoryctory is offered for lease and the fully automated beverage production is done via a desktop app letting the local operator – and Wayout, in Stockholm – monitor and control the process remotely. The system in the Serengeti is powered through a 110 kWp solar field with the energy stored in 2,000Ah OPzS batteries.

In the Serengeti, water is abundant, but not fit for drinking. The natural mineral content is extreme, making it corrosive to teeth and internal organs, and the unique ecosystem – including the famous “great migration” of wildebeest – makes the living soil busy with bacterial processes. That is why the micro-factory takes its source water from a local groundwater bore hole and filters it through an advanced integrated treatment system that removes all impurities before remineralising it for optimal taste and quality.

“It started out as a fun project between friends, at a moment when craft beer and micro-brewing was a thing,” says Martin Renck, one of Wayout’s three founders. The first system was developed to be used in the hospitality industry and by major breweries and beverage brands that seek to produce locally and sustainably. As the trio started pitching the concept to prospective clients, they hadn’t realised how urgent the issue of water purification was. “When we listened to the feedback we got – not just in Africa but from all around the warm regions of the planet – it became clear that it was the mineral water that was the really remarkable thing. We realised we not only had a commercial opportunity, but also a greater mission to take on,” Renck says.

 

Martin Renck, co-founder of Wayout. Originally conceived as a way to easily create craft beer, the technology’s ability to produce clean drinking water from virtually any source has proved to be its greatest and most impactful innovation PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER HUNT

 

Touching down on the red dirt track at the Kogatende Airstrip in Northern Serengeti, the infrastructural challenges of the region become instantly clear. Here, the dynamics of the natural world still rule; scorching days followed by chilly nights, dry seasons followed by torrential rains, wildebeest and zebras followed by big cats and hyenas, with termites, boomslangs, hyraxes, aardvarks and pangolins filling the gaps. Roads and rivers meander with the seasons. Man-made structures morph and merge with biomass. Good quality drinking water may be as far away as a few days by four-wheel drive, and the distribution logistics leave scars in the sensitive biotope. The effects of the Wayout micro-factory in this location have been profound.

In situ, at the safari operator Asilia’s Sayari Camp, this circular system has eliminated single-use plastic bottles by nearly 18,000 units per year, not only for the camp guests but also for the operating staff and the park rangers in the region. Together with the safari camp operators, the rangers are what protects the national park by maintaining fire breaks, educating locals on the economic upsides of a healthy ecosystem, deterring and removing poachers, and protecting wildlife and people from each other when needed. Easy access to eco-friendly safe drinking water lets the rangers focus on their mission and ultimately improve the experience for the close to 150,000 yearly eco-tourists to the region.

Through the localised production of beverages, Sayari Camp further reduces their environmental impact by avoiding unnecessary waste management and routine long-distance trips. In addition to obvious health benefits, the unlimited supply of safe drinking water also frees up time and resources for families, advancing educational and economic prospects that support long-term development. And the effects have exceeded expectations. “In this location, the transition to a circular and eco-friendly economy in and around the Sayari Camp was more or less instant, which really should make us all think: if this can be done in the far-out region of Northern Serengeti, couldn’t it then be done anywhere?” Renck asks.

Renck says that the pandemic has boosted the interest in their innovation. The company is currently busy finalising its second concept: a “water-as-a-service” offer aimed at regions and nations with greater need for desalination and safe drinking water. One such project is slated for roll-out in early 2022 in a large island nation. By producing drinking water through distributed desalination, the cascade effects of the infrastructure system could help replenish the island’s water table, restore local farming and revitalise important parts of the island’s economy.

“One of the things we as humanity learned from this pandemic is that we can no longer rely on global value chains,” Renck says. “A transition to local and sustainable production of food and beverages [could help] humanity greenwash – in the genuine, positive sense of the word – civilisation.”

 

 

Source Wired

Singapore firm wins award for making portable water filters inspired by bicycle pumps

Posted on by dishanth
Singapore firm wins award for making portable water filters inspired by bicycle pumps

A Singapore-based company’s award-winning water filtering device – which has been providing clean drinking water to disaster-struck and rural communities worldwide – was inspired by an ordinary bicycle pump.

In 2015, when Wateroam’s chief technology officer Vincent Loka saw a villager in Kelantan, Malaysia, using a bicycle pump to fill up his bike’s tyres, it got him thinking about how filtered water could flow out through a similar mechanism.

Over the next two years, the company worked on developing Roamfilter Plus – a lightweight, portable system that looks and works like a bicycle pump.

 

Once a tube connected to the device is dipped into a silt-ridden river or traditional well, the user just has to push down the piston, and out flows clean water.

To date, the Roamfilter Plus and its related products have been used in 38 countries, bringing clean water to around 207,000 people.

The company’s efforts earned it the water champion accolade on Monday (Jan 17), at a global sustainability award organised by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

Wateroam’s (from left) CEO David Pong, chief technology officer Vincent Loka and chief marketing officer Lim Chong Tee with the Roamfilter Plus. PHOTO: WATEROAM

 

It is the second Singapore company to win the award, after water solutions provider Ecosoftt in 2019.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize recognises companies and high schools across the world that have delivered innovative and impactful solutions to needy communities in health, food, energy and water.

Each winner across the categories – including Wateroam – received a prize of US$600,000 (S$800,000).

The annual prize was formed in 2008 to honour and continue the UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan’s legacy of humanitarianism and sustainable development.

 

By 2015, one-year-old Wateroam already had 10 different prototypes and filtration products, including a novel one that resembles a plastic bag.

But the team was not satisfied with its existing products, as it wanted to create a longer-lasting device which could meet a whole community’s needs. One bag-like filter could serve only up to seven people.

The Roamfilter Plus – which weighs less than 3kg – can serve around 100 people, with 15 to 20 litres of potable water for each person daily. The device can provide 250 litres of water per hour.

 

Children in Cambodia being introduced to the Wateroam filtering device in 2018. PHOTO: WATEROAM

 

“During a humanitarian crisis situation, it’s very important that a larger amount of water can be provided to a larger community,” said Mr David Pong, 32, chief executive and co-founder of Wateroam.

“We’ve been able to keep the cost of water to less than US$2 per person per year.”

A Roamfilter Plus costs US$350, and is usually bought by non-governmental organisations or regional governments that serve affected communities or remote places. Countries using the system include Malaysia, Cambodia and Vanuatu.

 

About 50 devices were recently deployed in Cebu in the Philippines, to provide clean water to between 5,000 and 10,000 people affected by Typhoon Rai.

The device is equipped with ultra filtration technology, where membranes within the cylindrical apparatus filter out bacteria, viruses and parasites from the water.

However, the system does not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals or lead, and further water treatment procedures would be needed, said Mr Pong.

But under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Scheme to Evaluate Household Water Treatment Technologies, the device earned two stars, which means it has comprehensive protection in its ability to remove pathogens from drinking water.

 

According to WHO, at least two billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces, as at 2017.

Wateroam is aiming to bring clean, drinking water to 30 million people by 2030.

“We aim to do this by expanding our reach into many more countries, and look into local production in those countries to further bring down the system’s costs,” said Mr Pong.

Wateroam was formed in 2014 by Mr Pong, Mr Loka and Mr Lim Chong Tee, now the company’s chief marketing officer, under an entrepreneurship programme when they were students at the National University of Singapore.

 

 

Source The Straits Times