Wastewater treatment in semi-arid industries: A focus on technologies and potential for reuse

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify, based on a literature review, the most suitable water treatment technologies for the production of reuse water to be used by industries that are often present in the Brazilian semi-arid region. For this research, we selected studies on water treatment with low implementation costs and advanced development for implementation. This study identified water treatment technologies for the production of reuse water in the leather and footwear, textile, metallic and non-metallic mineral extraction and food and beverage industries. The search was carried out in the scientific databases Scopus and Web of Science, with no restrictions on the year of publication. Based on the selected articles, a summary was made of the most suitable water treatment systems for each industrial sector, providing an overview of the treatments recommended for water-scarce regions. Water reuse can be implemented in various industrial activities, including the use of boilers, cooling towers, toilet flushing, local irrigation and reintroduction into the process as a by-product. There are various methods of water treatment, although it is necessary to assess which is most suitable for each type of industry. Aspects such as the amount of effluent generated, the necessary properties of the water to be reused and the cost of the project must be carefully evaluated if the benefits are to be achieved.