Clean water is an essential global resource. In the industrial world we have contaminated water over centuries of activities, as a result in our modern lifestyle people have no choice but to use the water that has been polluted from the white sources. The issues just don’t lie with the surface water that we might see but also with the groundwater that feeds into surface water which runs beneath our feet and runs through soils and rocks and eventually supplies to the world’s population. The only way is routine monitoring of surface, groundwater and wastewater which helps to characterize the amount of contaminants and the effects that they can cause to the environment and ecological receptors.
The University of Aberdeen has discovered a latest technology for cleaning up contaminated ground and waste water from Scotland’s national drink whiskey which is said to have the potential worth of million pounds. This innovative method is called DRAM technology: Device for the Remediation and Attenuation of Multiple pollutants is suitable for industries having groundwater contamination problem. According to the UK government report, there are more than 33,000 contaminated sites in UK and £ 1.2billion is spent annually on their clean ups (1). This method promises a lot in terms of the efficiency and cheaper expense.
The DRAM technology removes multiple contaminants simultaneously in a pioneering move that is far quicker and more cost effective than current clean up techniques. This technique has only used a whiskey bi product so far in its operation but experiments demonstrates that this technique can be applied in other products from food and drink production(1). These by-products are enhanced and incorporated into a unique patented device which can be introduced into contaminated waters in a variety of ways. The DRAM technology is the first of its kind which can remove metal contaminants at the same time as the degrading organic pollutants including pesticides and chlorine pollutants (2). It doesn’t require any interventions to the contaminants as it can utilize the existing infrastructures and remain in place for years which means less expensive. Being a cheaper method the DRAM technology is said to be used in low value land that might not have been regenerated before.
The process of manufacturing beverages gives out many bi products that have been put through strict quality control process and later the material is deployed into manufactured devices. These bespoke devices can then be placed in either wastewater streams or directly into surface waters. The novelty of these devices is not just into the material but also into the design of these devices and the intellectual understanding of their applications (1). Alongside surface water this technique has also been proved tracked tested in groundwater cleanup which in UK is estimated to be a very significant market of £500m. As far as the groundwater goes it may be used as a barrier in a flannel system in which water is channeled through the reaction of the DRAM. Or, it may be applied directly down to boreholes to purify the contaminated water through the devices(2).
As well as being able to utilise contaminated water, it is also important to consider your personal water usage too. Many products and gadgets are available to help you easily reduce your water consumption across the home.
References:
[1] http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ibes/news_archive/apr08.php
[2] http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/waste-from-whisky-cleans-contaminated-water/889
