Technological Advances in Industrial Water Safety and Security

Abstract

Assessment of contaminants in source water systems with inputs from industrial discharge, sewage treatment plants, storm water systems and runoff from urban and agricultural land is critical to formulating remediation of contaminants strategies for specific application. Generally, materials approaching nanoscale dimensions exhibit characteristics with numerous unique and previously unexploited applications. Hence, to develop application-specific uniform standards for water quality critical for different applications, advances in nanoscale materials devices and systems are reviewed to evaluate chemical, biological, and physical characteristics and integrity of water. Certain characteristics of nanoscale materials are exploited to remove, remediate, and even neutralize contaminants in water supply, as needed for a specific industrial application. A water quality management system is proposed based on region specific contaminants. The approach is proposed to be extrapolated for portable water purification systems. Water quality is a rather complex subject and is intrinsically tied to the regional ecology, application, and point-of-use, hence standards vary accordingly. Thus, it is extremely important to monitor, control, and maintain water quality – typically defined as physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water in relationship to a set of standards. An overview of latest advances in point and stand-off sensors/detectors from industrial water safety and security standpoint as a tool for better preparedness is described.