Low-cost Water Research Articles

Implementation of Wastewater Monitoring System using Low-Cost Water Sensor and IoT-based SCADA

Wastewater monitoring is crucial for ensuring the wastewater quality is in the allowable range. This paper presents the implementation of a wastewater monitoring system using low-cost water sensors and Internet of Things (IoT)-based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). The low-cost water sensor comprises the pH, temperature, turbidity, and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) sensors. The sensors are connected to the ESP32 microcontroller that is equipped with the WiFi module for communicating with the master unit, namely the Haiwell CBOX. Since the Haiwell CBOX is an IoT-based device, it is connected to the IoT cloud server. Thus, it can be accessed remotely through the Internet. The experimental results show that the user-friendly graphical interface is easy to develop and provides the user with useful and helpful information for monitoring and analyzing wastewater parameters. Further, the communication time interval of four seconds between the ESP32 and CBOX achieves a stable connection.

Photocatalytic Hydrogenation of Alkenes Using Water as Both the Reductant and the Proton Source.

Utilization of clean and low-cost water as the reductant to enable hydrogenation of alkenes is highly attractive in green chemistry. However, this research subject is considerably challenging due to the sluggish kinetics of the water oxidation half-reaction. It is also very difficult to avoid the undesired oxidation of alkenes because that this oxidation is far easier to occur than the desired oxidation of water from thermodynamic standpoint. Herein, this challenge is overcome by applying a cooperative catalysis where HCl is used as the cocatalyst to accelerate Pt/g-C3N4-catalyzed water oxidation and suppress the undesired oxidation of the alkene. This provides an example for using water as the reductant and the proton source to enable the photocatalytic hydrogenation of alkenes. The present method exhibits broad substrate applicability, and allows various arylethenes and aliphatic alkenes to undergo the hydrogenation smoothly.

Rapid Real-Time Prediction Techniques for Ammonia and Nitrite in High-Density Shrimp Farming in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Water quality early warning is a key aspect in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems for high-density shrimp farming. The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and nitrite in the water significantly impact the cultured animals and are challenging to measure in real-time, posing a substantial challenge to water quality early warning technology. This study aims to collect data samples using low-cost water quality sensors during the industrial recirculating aquaculture process and to construct predictive values for ammonia nitrogen and nitrite, which are difficult to obtain through sensors in the aquaculture environment, using data prediction techniques. This study employs various machine learning algorithms, including General Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Deep Belief Network (DBN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), to build predictive models for ammonia nitrogen and nitrite. The accuracy of the models is determined by comparing the predicted values with the actual values, and the performance of the models is evaluated using Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) metrics. Ultimately, the optimized GRNN-based predictive model for ammonia nitrogen concentration (MAE = 0.5915, MAPE = 28.95%, RMSE = 0.7765) and the nitrite concentration predictive model (MAE = 0.1191, MAPE = 29.65%, RMSE = 0.1904) were selected. The models can be integrated into an Internet of Things system to analyze the changes in ammonia nitrogen and nitrite concentrations over time through aquaculture management and routine water quality conditions, thereby achieving the application of recirculating aquaculture system water environment early warning technology.

Recent Trends in Polymer Matrix Solid Buoyancy Materials: A Review.

Polymer matrix solid buoyancy materials (PSBMs) have the advantages of low density, high strength, low cost, and low water absorption, and they are widely used in marine engineering fields. How to improve the performance of PSBMs further and adapt them to harsh marine environments has become a hot topic in current research. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of PSBM, detailing both the preparation methodologies and properties of single-component and multi-component PSBM. In this paper, relevant research is systematically summarized from two dimensions of matrix and filler, and the application of thermosetting resin and thermoplastic resin as a matrix in PSBM is introduced in detail, and the corresponding research on fillers such as hollow glass microspheres, fly ash, hollow ceramic spheres and hollow polymer microspheres are expounded. This paper aims to summarize the latest advancements in PSBM research, thereby providing insights into the current state of the field and guiding future investigations.

Overview of the low-cost technologies for household water treatment in developing countries

ABSTRACT This study explored various low-cost water treatment technologies that are used to minimize levels of pathogens and contaminants in raw water. The paper focused on techniques such as cloth filtration, boiling, chlorination, and solar water disinfection. In the communities, cloth filtration is applied as the initial step of treating raw water with the proper choice of cloth fabrics followed by either boiling, chlorination or solar water disinfection. In low-income communities with unclean burning fuel sources, boiling was found to be the preferred method. Chlorination was also a popular technique associated with the challenges of low or high levels of free chlorine at the point of use and disinfection by-products. Solar water disinfection required optimal residence time and detection sensors for microorganism inactivation. Overall, the paper provided valuable insights into the different low-cost water treatment techniques that are commonly used for household applications, particularly in developing countries.

Game Theory Applications in Equilibrium Water Pricing of Multiple Regional Sources and Users

China has been facing a contradiction between its water supply and demand for a long time, and it is urgent that it builds a “water-saving society”. Previous research on water pricing mainly focused on the policy level, only considering the supply and demand sides and ignoring the participation of local governments. Due to the inconsistent approval mechanisms, different times of cost formation, and lack of a scientific pricing relationship between multiple water sources and multiple users, with the current water pricing in China, it is difficult to solve the complex problem of water resource allocation. This study aimed to promote the qualitative supply of water and the reuse of reclaimed water, achieve a high-quality and low-cost water supply, and explore the role of water-pricing mechanisms in the regulation of multi-source water supply configurations. The mechanism of regulation is constructed for the complex, multi-source, multi-user water resource system, and a three-party game model is established among local governments, water supply enterprises, and water users. A reasonable pricing system with a rational price relationship is obtained, and Pinghu City in Zhejiang Province is taken as the research area. The prices of the external water supply to residential users, non-resident users, and special users are 4.48 CNY/m3, 6.28 CNY/m3, and 7.12 CNY/m3. The external supply prices for resident users, non-resident users, and special users are 3.81 CNY/m3, 5.25 CNY/m3, and 6.05 CNY/m3. The external supply price for non-resident users is 2.62 CNY/m3 for reclaimed water. The results of the study showed that when the government’s contribution did not exceed the amount that it would have been without the inclusion of recycled water and the annual payment of water users did not exceed their ability to pay, the income of water suppliers increased by 69%. The three balanced objectives of rational water resource configuration by the local government, reasonable profit for the water supply enterprise, and reasonable payment by water users have been achieved. This study provides theoretical and methodological support for the implementation of water pricing for multi-source and multi-user water supplies in water-scarce areas.

Amorphous multimetal based catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

The development of efficient, low-cost water splitting electrocatalysts is needed to store energy by generating sustainable hydrogen from low power clean but intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind. Here, we report a highly sustained low overpotential for oxygen evolution reached by the unique combination of three metals (NiCoV) prepared from a simple low temperature auto-combustion process. The amorphous multimetal oxygen evolving catalyst could be stably coated on a stainless-steel support using a tribochemical particle blasting method to create an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode with a low overpotential of 230 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 40 mV dec−1. In addition to their low overpotential, this oxygen evolving electrocatalyst preserved performance demonstrating a stability after 10 h at the technologically relevant current density and without any surface morphology alteration. Given the importance of sustainable hydrogen production, the development of this new OER catalyst points the way to removing a key technical bottleneck for the water splitting reaction and could offer a route to cost reduction and lowering hurdles to more widespread adaptation of electrolyser technologies for hydrogen production.

Low cost water purifier using natural and waste material

Low cost water purifier using natural and waste material

The application of a low-cost microcomputer logger with pressure-temperature based sensor for coastal observations: A preliminary study

Abstract Nearshore hydrodynamics, such as water level fluctuations, field observations play a crucial role in understanding and monitoring the dynamics of the coastal region. The observed parameters provide insight into oceanographic processes, climate change impacts, and the behavior of marine ecosystems that could be valuable for coastal management and infrastructure development planning. Most of the available hydrodynamic loggers are provided by companies with relatively high prices. Due to limited budgets, many areas including Indonesia waters, have limited hydrodynamic observation data. In this paper, we presented a prototype of a simple (DIY-Do It Yourself) and low-cost water level logger with a microcomputer that could be applied in coastal regions. The system consists of a pressure-based sensor to detect water level fluctuations, a temperature sensor, a single-board microcomputer and data logger, and a power supply with different sampling frequencies for various coastal applications. The result showed the ability of the microcomputer system to measure high-resolution water levels and temperatures applicable for non-directional waves, tides and non-tides observations, and ecological monitoring. The microcomputer’s low power consumption makes it suitable for long-term coastal observations, even in remote or battery-powered applications. The body of the logger is designed from PVC-nylon with sensors made from waterproof and corrosion-free materials to ensure its applicability for coastal monitoring. Moreover, the flexibility of the microcomputer system allows for customization and adaptation to specific research requirements at relatively affordable prices.

Low Cost Water Purification: Harnessing Adsorbents for Sustainable Treatment Solutions

Water is essential for life, yet millions lack access to clean drinking water. Low-cost treatment methods are crucial to ensure equitable access to safe water and prevent waterborne diseases in underserved communities. The study devised a 12-liter water filter utilizing pebbles, sand, and adsorbents biochar of Julifora, cashew nut shell and rice husk. Results demonstrated the filter's effectiveness in sustaining pH levels while reducing chloride, fluoride, hardness and alkalinity. Particularly noteworthy was the capacity of cashew nut biochar to efficiently adsorb chloride, fluoride, hardness and alkalinity as 27%, 37%, 38% and 43% respectively. This indicates its promising role as an adsorbent for water purification. The findings underscore the potential of the designed filter in improving drinking water quality by mitigating contaminants. Further refinement and optimization of the filter could enhance its efficacy in meeting stringent water quality standards, addressing the pressing need for accessible and safe drinking water globally.

The effects of contour-based rainwater harvesting and integrated nutrient management on maize yields in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe

In the smallholder farming areas located in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe, low and unreliable rainfall distribution and poor soil fertility are the major factors limiting crop production. The negative effects of these biophysical factors have been worsened by climate change. However, the major challenges have been the lack of sustainable, low-cost water and nutrient management technologies for these semi-arid regions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of contour-based rainwater harvesting (RWH) namely tied contours (TC), infiltration pits (IP) which were compared with the standard contour (STDC), and intergrated nutrient management (INM) where cattle manure was used as basal fertiliser and Ammonium Nitrate (AN) as top dressing, on maize yields. Results showed that fields with RWH had higher yields compared to STDC. Average maize yields were 2210 and 1792 kg ha−1 for TC and IP which were 88% and 52% above STDC (1176 kg ha−1) respectively. Increasing nitrogen (N) levels resulted in a further increase in maize yields. Return on investment was negative during drier years and was significantly higher in RWH systems compared with STDC during wet seasons. Farmers need to reduce mineral fertiliser application during dry seasons since little rainwater is captured. We conclude that contour based RWH and INM can be used as sustainable low cost methods of crop production. Higher fertiliser application rates when rainfall is limiting, do not result in increased return on investiment.

Automatic Low-cost Water Level Indicator for Tanks and Hand Washing Water Dispensers in Kitui; Kenya during the Covid 19 Pandemic

In day to day life, millions and millions of liters of water is being wasted through overflowing or excessive usage. In Kitui specifically, water availability by itself a challenge since the area rarely experiences long rainy seasons, has no flowing rivers, the dams are dry and there are only few boreholes available. It is for these reasons that we propose the adaptation of probe sensors to detect the water level in the hand washing water dispensers and storage tanks of the available boreholes in Kitui. The probe sensors detect the water level when they come in contact with them and in return a light emitting diode of the corresponding probe blinks. The system calculates the water level up to 100% by intervals of 25%. Moreover, the system is also connected to a relay switch that automatically turns on or off based on the water level. When each interval is reached, the light emitting diode blinks. At 25% the water level in the tank is lowest and this prompts the buzzer to produce a sound notifying the attenders that the tank needs to be refilled. An automatic refill also takes place due to the additional circuit connection. At 100% the relay goes OFF and water refill stops hence water wastage is avoided.

Low-cost water boiling method successfully employed to extract DNA from a single whitefly to detect yellow mosaic disease-causing viruses in PCR

A cost-effective DNA extraction approach was developed and applied to PCR-based identification of yellow mosaic disease (YMD) causing viruses in individual whiteflies. Whiteflies were collected from urdbean and eggplant, representing host and non-host plants of target viruses, respectively. DNA from whiteflies was successfully extracted using the nuclease-free water boiling method and optimised template concentration for PCR assays. An average nucleic acid content of 3.844 ± 0.14 ng/µl was extracted from individual whiteflies in 50 µl nuclease-free water. PCR assays revealed Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) presence in 90% of the whiteflies collected from urdbean. Conversely, YMD-causing viruses were not present in whiteflies collected from eggplant or in the eggplant plants themselves. The use of this low-cost approach for detecting YMD-causing viruses in whiteflies is very effective for the surveillance and monitoring of viruses. Early detection facilitates the deployment of appropriate management strategies, reducing both crop losses and the potential for outbreaks.

Improving The Quality of Water for Public Consumption in Dumai City,Riau-Indonesia

The poor quality of water that’s available in Kota Dumai has forced some people in the community to consume water that didn’t meet health quality standards. As a result, it had an impact on public health, such as skin diseases and diarrhea. Although the government has made efforts to provide clean water through Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM), the benefits can’t reach all of society. There were still many people who were forced to consume this poor-quality water. This community service activity aims to educate society about the importance of clean water for health. And train the community to make simple and low-cost water purifiers. As a result, there was an improvement in water quality after the filtering activity, and there was an increase in public knowledge about the importance of clean water for health. In conclusion, this activity really helped the community to get high quality water at low cost

A low-cost water hyacinth-based adsorbent for free fatty acids removal from waste cooking oil: kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies

A low-cost water hyacinth-based adsorbent for free fatty acids removal from waste cooking oil: kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies

Micro-mechanism investigation of hydrogen evolution reaction on anti-perovskite Ni3InN considering doping and strain effects

Anti-perovskites are considered as promising high-efficiency catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to their low cost, adjustable composition, and small water dissociation kinetic barriers. Accounting strain effects, transition metal doping effects and solvent effects, we calculate HER micro-mechanism on anti-perovskite Ni3InN and conclude that HER on Ni3InN can be divided into two steps, rapid proton adsorption at the Bridge site and favorable H2 desorption at the Hollow site. We obtained 2 doping elements (Pt and Ir) from 20 transition metal elements that can enhance HER catalytic performance of Ni3InN. It is worth noting that applying a certain strain is beneficial for the catalytic performance of some doped Ni3InN (e.g. +2 %, +1% for Pt), while harmful for others (e.g. Ir). Our work provides a new perspective for the application of anti-perovskites in HER, which is meaningful for the development of HER catalysts.

Coupled adsorption-phytoremediation treatment of cellulose-reactive blue dye in a sustainable multi-step pilot-scale process.

A single-step dye removal strategy from wastewater is inadequate for concentrations above 100mg/L. In order to address this limitation, the adsorption of high dye concentrations followed by phytoremediation is a potential approach for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater. This combined method utilizes physical adsorption and biological processes to remove dyes from wastewater. Herein, we investigated a pilot-scale multi-step cascaded process where batch adsorption and fixed-bed column adsorption were combined with phytoremediation to remove cellulose-reactive blue dye at 200 to 500mg/L concentrations. The batch adsorption utilized low-cost water hyacinth root powder (WHRP) bioadsorbent having 670 m2/g surface area, whereas the fixed-bed column adsorption used sand having a surface area of 75 m2/g. The phytoremediation process utilized water hyacinth plants in a series of ponds. The effluent from one unit is fed to the next until the dye is removed to more than 98% for all concentrations considered in this study. Pilot-scale experimental data fitting to adsorption isotherms and kinetics were performed to gain insight into the pilot-scale adsorption mechanism. The fixed-bed sand column adsorption was conducted at different inlet dye concentrations, flow rates, and bed heights. The breakthrough curves were fit to the Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, and Bohart-Adams models. The effluent from the fixed-bed column was transferred to phytoremediation ponds, where complete dye removal was achieved. Overall, data collectively presented in this study demonstrated that the combined adsorption and phytoremediation approach offers a potential solution for the remediation of high dye concentration in wastewater, providing an effective and sustainable treatment option.

Performance evaluation of a parabolic cylinder collector applying the Monte Carlo ray tracing method

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of a prototype parabolic trough collector for three proposed scenarios, where geometric designs with optical characteristics are tested according to the appropriate technological paradigm; low cost of maintenance and implementation, intensive local labor, materials and resources of the implementation area. The device was developed by the Energy, Automation and Control Systems Research Group GISEAC of the Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander for low-cost water heating; using materials and labor for its fabrication easily available locally. Monte Carlo ray tracing methodology was applied using the open-access software SolTrace and Tonatiuh. To select the geometric scenario to be simulated, the edge angle and the width of the primary reflection system of the device were varied. The results obtained showed that the aperture of the parabola has a direct impact on the drop in the concentration ratio (CR) percentage value and the performance of the prototype.

Cost-centric innovations to address Water-Agriculture nexus challenges in Egypt: Research Status Analysis

High costs associated with technology adoption can be a barrier against the improvement of water use in agriculture. Therefore, interventions must be not only technically feasible but also financially affordable and accessible to farmers. To understand the current situation of research in lowcost (and cost-effective) water solutions for effective management of agricultural water challenges in Egypt. A total of 19 peer-reviewed papers were obtained from systematic research on various databases, the employed keywords are: “Egypt” AND “irrigation” AND “low cost” OR “low-cost” OR “cost-effective” OR “cost-effective”. Based on the analysis of the selected studies, many low-cost technologies and techniques are applied in the Egyptian Delta on-farm levels, such as using low-cost soil moisture sensors attached to a smart monitoring unit operated by Solar Photo Voltaic Cells (SPVC), wireless sensor network in cultivating the potato crop, flexible on-field irrigation, cut-off irrigation, and Pressurized Irrigation Systems. The proposed solutions can help improve water use efficiency, increase crop yields, reduce the cost of irrigation, improve the quality of irrigation water, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The economic analyses and feasibility studies presented in these papers provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions about water use and agricultural practices.

Development of low-cost rainwater harvesting to support on-site water supply in rural Tajikistan

Farmers in remote, arid areas, far from available water sources, need affordable water solutions for household and livestock use. In this study, the water needs and potential for rainwater harvesting (RWH) in the Kysylsu River Basin are estimated at different altitudes. The mean annual net rainfall depth varied from 545 to 900 mm. With an average roof area of 550 m2, 211 m3 to 344 m3 rainwater can be harvested for dry and wet years respectively. Based on the estimated water demand and rainfall deficit, the average household need was estimated to be 100 m3. For a low-cost water storage solution, we tested different types of waterproof materials to replace smaller 12-18 m3 concrete tanks commonly used in the region. Soil pits lined with 0.3 mm double layer polyethene (0.6 mm in total) was the best solution for 5 m3 volume tanks in terms of the costs and durability and 0.8 mm double layer polyethene (1.6 mm in total) was ideal for sealing 10 m3 volume tanks. This study demonstrates the efficiency of the system for improved livelihood of the families through rain harvesting.