Water Shortage Research Articles

Development of membrane distillation powered by engine exhaust for water desalination

To address water shortage in arid areas and make use of waste heat, an experimental investigation is presented for a novel system of air gap membrane distillation unit driven by an engine exhaust heat source for the development of an on-board car water desalination. The design of the gas-to-water heat exchanger is presented and optimized. The system’s performance, governed by the achieved feed water temperature and measured by the output vapor mass flux, is evaluated with time under varying operational parameters, including engine load, engine speed, and feed water flow rate, with the analysis of production cost for economic viability. Experimental results revealed that higher engine loads and speeds lead to rapid temperature increase of the feed water, enhancing the efficiency of the membrane distillation process and increasing the permeate flux. Notably, a maximum permeate flux of 45 kg/m2h was achieved after 40 min of operation. A minimum production cost of 3.2 $/m3 is estimated at an engine load of 35 N.m. With production costs ranging from 3.2 to 5.8 $/m3, the proposed system emerges as a highly competitive option when compared with other membrane distillation systems driven by waste heat in literature. This study underscores the potential of utilizing waste heat from car engines for cost-effective and sustainable water desalination, paving the way for further development and implementation of the system as a mobile desalination unit for different applications.

Tropical cyclone-induced rainfall variability and its implications for drought in Taiwan: Insights from 1981 to 2022

This study analyzes the interplay between tropical cyclones (TCs) and drought in Taiwan over the period from 1981 to 2022, leveraging data from CHIRPS, FLDAS, IBTrACS, and Sentinel and Landsat satellite imagery. Our findings reveal a significant decline in TC-induced rainfall over the last decade, with a turning point in 2017. We establish a low to moderate positive correlation between TC-induced rainfall and subsequent spring soil moisture levels, with April exhibiting the strongest connection. This relationship strengthens in transitions from agricultural to forested areas. Additionally, our research identifies a robust correlation (r = 0.77) between TC-induced rainfall and reservoir water levels, underscoring the consistent link between TCs and hydrological drought. However, intriguing disparities emerge in water availability patterns. In 2007 and 2020, reservoirs maintained normal levels despite reduced typhoon rainfall in prior years. Conversely, in 2019, water shortages occurred despite typical TC-induced rainfall. These cases suggest that water availability is influenced by factors beyond TCs, including water demand, infrastructure, monsoon and spring rainfall, air temperature, and water management strategies. Furthermore, we uncover a symmetrical relationship between TCs and monsoon-induced rainfall, indicating their potential to balance reservoir water supply. Nevertheless, both TCs and the monsoon exhibit declining trends in the past decade, heightening the risk of spring season water scarcity in Taiwan. Effective water resource management demands consideration of natural and anthropogenic factors, encompassing land use changes, deforestation, production activities, water pollution, and policy strategies. These measures are essential to mitigate water scarcity and promote sustainability in Taiwan.

Transient Post-Fire Growth Recovery of Two Mediterranean Broadleaf Tree Species

Fires affect forest dynamics in seasonally dry regions such as the Mediterranean Basin. There, fire impacts on tree growth have been widely characterized in conifers, particularly pine species, but we lack information on broadleaf tree species that sprout after fires. We investigated post-fire radial growth responses in two coexisting Mediterranean hardwood species (the evergreen Quercus ilex, the deciduous Celtis australis) using tree-ring width data. We compared growth data from burnt and unburnt stands of each species subjected to similar climatic, soil and management conditions. We also calculated climate–growth relationships to assess if burnt stands were also negatively impacted by water shortage, which could hinder growth recovery. Tree-ring data of both species allowed us to quantify post-fire growth enhancements of +39.5% and +48.9% in Q. ilex and C. australis, respectively, one year after the fire. Dry spring climate conditions reduced growth, regardless of the fire impact, but high precipitation in the previous winter enhanced growth. High June radiation was negatively related to the growth of unburnt Q. ilex and burnt C. australis stands, respectively. Post-fire growth enhancement lasted for five years after the fire and it was a transitory effect because the growth rates of burnt and unburnt stands were similar afterwards.

ANALISIS BIAYA INVESTASI AIR CURAH PADA SISTEM PENYEDIAAN AIR MINUM (SPAM) BENDUNGAN TAMBLANG DI KABUPATEN BULELENG

Buleleng Regency has sub-districts that still experience a shortage of raw water. Tamblang Dam is one of the sources of raw water that will be utilized to meet the needs of raw water in Buleleng Regency. Given the extreme topographic conditions in Buleleng Regency, an economic feasibility study is needed which is used as a reference for the implementer of development and becomes a standard for the feasibility of this infrastructure development. Tariff determination can be done by calculating the capex and opex. Capex is a component of the operational costs required and opex is the investment cost of development. Raw Water consists of a Transmission Unit consisting of Preparatory work for permits, with the source of funds from the APBN, Consulting Services and Stages of Supervision services from the source of funds from the APBN, Construction Work Civil Works, Mechanical Electrical Works IPA and JDU, Mechanical Electrical Works Distribution Reservoirs with the source of funds from the APBN while in the Production unit the preparation work, planning and supervision of the Distribution Reservoir uses the APBD budget. The total value of the overall SPAM Tamblang Reservoir RAB in Buleleng Regency is Rp299,887,860,916.13 plus a tax of Rp332,875,526,000.00.

Application of the VDI 2221 method in the design of an air-to-water converter device

Indonesia's drought and water crisis problems have grown significantly in importance in recent years, especially in light of the country's fast population expansion, urbanization, and growing awareness of the effects of climate change. By 2040, there may be a clean water crisis in every region along Java's north coast, from Banten to Surabaya, according to projections made by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). The water crisis could be a major worldwide concern and will be a highly complicated issue. One approach to resolving the water shortage is to design an air-to-water converter device. The purpose of this research is to design a device that can efficiently and effectively convert air into water through condensation processes. The design will be based on the VDI 2221 Method. The rationale behind selecting the VDI 2221 Method is that it is a methodical approach to design that can help a designer generate and guide multiple design options. The primary mechanism of this apparatus is condensation, which turns air into dew points. The author utilized Solidworks 2020 to create the air-to-water conversion device. Through the stages of VDI 2221, the finest design outcomes were obtained from this design. The air-to-water converter mechanism in this design is constructed by version 2, which was chosen as the best option. Based on ASTM A36 material, theoretical calculations on the frame produced a safety factor of 1.45 and a maximum stress of 1.72414 × 108 N/m2. Based on the turbine shaft calculation, the maximum stress of 1.07235 × 108 N/m2 and the safety factor of 2.57379 were obtained using Aluminum 6061 material

Analysis of air-to-water converter frame using ANSYS simulation

According to projections made by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), by 2040 every region along Java's northern coast—from Banten to Surabaya and Iswara—will be an urban area vulnerable to water scarcity. As a result, more careful consideration is required. Since air is an endless supply, turning it into water is one way to address the clean water shortage. A good design's structure is one of its essential components. This is because the device's structure must sustain both the renewable energy source and the complete system. By utilizing ANSYS Workbench and theoretical calculations to analyze the maximum stress results, the research aims to ascertain whether the machine frame is safe for usage. In this investigation, the ANSYS 2021 R1 software was used to apply the finite element method to ASTM A36 material under vertical loading. The air-to-water converter mechanism is still safe after simulations were run on its shaft and frame. This is demonstrated by the biggest maximum stress on the shaft (6.2194 MPa) from the ANSYS numerical simulation and the largest maximum stress (0.349 MPa) on the frame, both of which are still below the allowable stress. Furthermore, a 0.9694 difference in safety factor was found between theoretical calculations and shaft simulation, and a 0.1573 difference was found for the frame. The safety factor acquired from the shaft was 1.6043, while the safety factor gained from the frame was 1.6073

Inisiasi Pengolahan Air Embung dengan Teknologi Multimedia Filter (MMF) sebagai Solusi Air Bersih di Kabupaten Bojonegoro

Clean water and proper sanitation are fundamental human needs. Nganti Village, located in Ngraho Subdistrict, Bojonegoro Regency, faces significant drought and clean water shortages, particularly during the dry season. The water quality remains subpar despite the presence of springs and water reservoirs. Consequently, processing raw water from the village's reservoir can offer a viable solution. This service activity aims to harness water reservoirs as a clean water source through multimedia filter (MMF) technology. The activities, conducted from 2022 to the end of 2023, encompass four stages: socializing the program plans, constructing multimedia filters (MMF), installing the water treatment unit on-site, and evaluating water quality, followed by necessary follow-ups. The primary activities involve installing water treatment units with MMF technology in collaboration with village officials and the community. The treated water is then tested for quality at the IPB University laboratory. Test results indicate that MMF technology significantly improves water quality, reducing parameters such as Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium, Iron, and Phosphate by 25.8‒97.8%, thus meeting quality standards. However, some parameters, such as TSS, COD, and Zinc, still exceed quality standards, necessitating further processing. This advanced water treatment requires involvement from the local government, particularly in funding through community empowerment programs, to install advanced treatment units and provide operational support for these units.

Physiological and enzyme dynamics of tomato under drought stress

Climate change leads to an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, which have a negative impact on agriculture by altering plant growth and lowering water availability, placing food production systems at risk of sustainability. In order to improve drought resistance and ensure food security in the face of growing water shortages, this research was conducted to determine the physiological and enzymatic responses of tomato plants to drought stress. This study was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, involving 3 hybrids, viz., H1: EC169966 × LE118, H2: EC177824 × LE118 and H3: Arka Ashish × LE 27, along with their parents, P1: EC177824, P2: LE27, P3: EC169966, P4: LE118 and P5: Arka Ashish, under 50 % and 100 % field capacity conditions in factorial completely randomized design (FCRD) with 3 replications. Results indicated a significant change in physiological and enzymactic activities. Here, the parent P2 and hybrid H2 showed superior tolerance, with higher relative water content, proline, leaf water potential, membrane and chlorophyll stability index. Added to that, the response of enzyme activities including peroxidase, nitrate reductase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase and superoxide dismutase was found to be increase notably in drought-tolerant hybrids and parents, which correlated strongly with physiological markers of drought resistance. These modifications highlight the capacity of some genotypes to preserve photosynthetic efficiency and cellular integrity in water-limited environments. The results highlight the significance of choosing and developing drought-tolerant cultivars in order to maintain agricultural production in areas vulnerable to drought and address issues related to global food security.

Underestimation of meteorological drought intensity due to lengthening of the drought season with climate change

Abstract Meteorological drought may lead to water shortages, which has negative impacts on water-dependent sectors. Whilst there is a wealth of studies on changing drought intensity or frequency due to climate change, much less is known regarding potential shifts in the timing of drought. The purpose of this study is to analyse the timing of the drought season in the Netherlands and climatic changes therein, with a special focus on the onset of the drought season. Based on an analysis of meteorological observations in the Netherlands over the period 1965-2023, we conclude that the Dutch meteorological drought season has extended forward in time. On average, the drought season starts 16 days earlier in the period 1994-2023 compared to 1965-1993. This is mostly the result of an increase in potential evapotranspiration, while the amount of precipitation does not show a clear change at the start of the growing season. Using three climate model ensembles, we show that a forced climate change signal exists, but that natural variability also plays a role. Following this assessment of trends in meteorological variables, we analyse the consequences for the operational monitoring of meteorological drought. In the Netherlands, this is done by means of the `precipitation deficit’-indicator, based on a fixed-in-time starting point (1 April) of the drought season. The combination of this fixed starting point and the observed earlier onset of the drought season, means that in some years the indicator underestimates drought intensity, and that climatic trends are underestimated. We therefore advocate for an update of the operational drought indicator, such that meteorological drought occurring before 1 April will not be missed.

The role of automated surface water distribution systems in energy-saving agriculture: A case study from central Iran’s Arid Plateau

Study regionThe NekooAbad Irrigation District in central Iran faces challenges due to inefficient surface water distribution. 82 million m3 of groundwater is extracted annually from 15,000 tube-wells, leading to decreased groundwater levels and increased energy consumption of 234 million kWh per year. Study focusThis study explores implementing automation in surface water distribution to reduce groundwater extraction and conserve energy. A hydraulic simulation model and a centralized Model Predictive Control approach were used to analyze the existing system and propose a recovery plan. The potential impact of automated surface water distribution on reducing groundwater extraction and energy conservation was evaluated through spatial assessment in GIS. New hydrological insights for the regionThe results demonstrate that the introduction of automation can significantly improve surface water distribution and, accordingly, groundwater overexploitation and, consequently, energy conservation, particularly during water scarcity. Energy conservation increased by 42.3 %, 54.8 %, 56.2 %, and 57.7 % under normal conditions, with water shortages of less than 10 %, 10–15 %, and 15–20 %, respectively. However, as the surface water shortages intensified, the energy conservation rates decreased to 57.7 %, 43.7 %, 25.4 %, and 18.9 % for normal conditions, water shortages of 15–20 %, 20–30 %, 30–40 %, and over 40 %, respectively. The automation introduction effectively provided reliable surface water resources, prompting farmers to shut down pumping stations or reduce working hours. Even in extreme scenarios, the project achieved up to 18.9 % energy savings.

Evaluation of Modified Conventional Still Distiller Using Coupled External Passive Condenser: An Experimental Study

Solar radiation plays an important part in the desalination of saline water owing to its abundance in areas with potable water shortage and it also occupies a paramount place in green energy generation due to its simplicity of application. Still distiller is viewed by researchers as a suitable source of potable water because of low cost of fabrication, easy operation and zero emission technology. Studies by researchers are geared towards exploring new models to improve the productivity of solar stills and enhance its production rate is ongoing. The main aspiration of this work is to experiment the consequence of introducing a passive condenser to a modified conventional solar still to enhance its productivity yield. It was observed that the modified passive still distiller coupled with the external condenser gave about 11.85% higher production yield in comparison with the modified conventional still distiller. Daily and accumulated distillate yield for the still distillers have been studied and analyzed. The result of the findings revealed that sawdust padding around the still distillers is recommended to maximize productivity leading to efficient water distillation in regions where that require still distiller usage. This recommendation has been seen to produce the desired result in accessing to potable water within areas where water scarcity prevails. This is suggested to contribute effectively bearing the cost ineffective water desalination technique.

Nutrient limitation shortly before harvest promotes high accumulation of antioxidants in lettuce

AbstractPlants exposed to drought not only have to cope with a shortage of water, but also with a simultaneous decrease in nutrient availability. In this greenhouse experiment, the responses of antioxidants and key metabolites to 2 or 4 days of water limitation immediately prior to harvest were compared to the effect of nutrient limitation with continued water supply in lettuce leaves. Water limitation led to a faster increase in stress intensity than nutrient limitation. While moderate drought stress led to a slight increase in the antioxidant compounds studied, there was a concomitant sharp decrease in starch content. Under nutrient limitation, an increase in the content of ascorbic acid, the proportion of reduced ascorbic acid and the content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, soluble sugars and starch was observed in the mild phase of stress. These results suggest that reducing nutrient availability shortly before harvest could be a suitable means of improving the nutritional value of crops through cultivation practices as opposed to breeding.

Potential Sites for Rainwater Harvesting Focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

An innovative way to combat water scarcity brought on by population increase and climate change is rainwater harvesting (RWH), particularly in arid and semiarid areas. Currently, Pakistan is facing major water issues due to underprivileged water resource management, climate change, land use changes, and the sustainability of local water resources. This research aims to find out the suitable sites and options for RWH structures in the Quetta district of Pakistan by integrating the depression depth technique, Boolean analysis, and weighted linear combination (WLC) with hydrological modeling (HM), multicriteria analysis (MCA), a geographic information system (GIS), and remote sensing (RS). To find suitable sites for RWH, a collection of twelve (12) thematic layers were used, including the slope (SL), land use land cover (LULC), subarea (SA), runoff depth (RD), drainage density (DD), lineament density (LD), infiltration number (IFN), distance from built-up area (DB), distance from roads (DR), distance from lakes (DL), maximum flow distance (MFD), and topographic wetness index (TWI). The Boolean analysis and WLC approach were integrated in the GIS environment. The consistency ratio (CR) was calculated to make sure the assigned weights to thematic layers were consistent. Overall, results show that 6.36% (167.418 km2), 14.34% (377.284 km2), 16.36% (430.444 km2), 18.92% (497.663 km2), and 18.64% (490.224 km2) of the area are in the categories of very high, high, moderate, low, and very low suitability, respectively, for RWH. RWH potential is restricted to 25.35% (666.86 km2) of the area. This research also identifies the five (5) best locations for checking dams and the ten (10) best locations for percolation tanks on the streams. The conducted suitability analysis will assist stakeholders in selecting the optimal locations for RWH structures, facilitating the storage of water, and addressing the severe water scarcity prevalent in the area. This study proposes a novel approach to handle the problems of water shortage in conjunction with environmental and socioeconomic pressures in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Advancing Sustainable Seawater Desalination in the Persian Gulf: Opportunities and Challenges under the Kuwait Convention 1978

Seawater desalination has emerged as a viable solution, notably utilized by many Persian Gulf littoral countries facing severe water shortages and aiming to achieve the targets of the sustainable development goal 6 regarding ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. However, desalination comes with costs and can adversely impact marine ecosystems. Conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources is one of the sustainable development goals (Goal 14), and unmanaged use of desalination plants in the Persian Gulf Coasts can threaten this goal. Therefore, moving towards a sustainable process of seawater desalination in this region requires the promotion of cooperation, including through the effective implementation of existing multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Based on this, the main question of this paper is: what are the opportunities and challenges of the Kuwait Convention (1978) in advancing sustainable seawater desalination in Persian Gulf? The results of descriptive and analytical studies based on library resources in this research indicate that the provisions concerning the prevention, control and combating of land-based pollution, as well as requirements for environmental impact assessments, are the most significant opportunities provided by this instrument. However, the lack of direct obligations regarding the management of seawater desalination and non-existence of effective compliance mechanisms are the challenges of this convention. To address these challenges, adopting a seawater desalination management guideline under ROPME, promoting international cooperation, sharing experiences and knowledge related to innovative technologies and empowering compliance mechanisms under this convention are the essential recommendations for the effective implementation of the Kuwait Convention towards sustainable seawater desalination in the region.

Prevalence, Correlates, and Impacts of Displacement Because of Natural Disasters in the United States From 2022 to 2023.

Objectives. To quantify the prevalence, correlates, and impacts of displacement because of natural disasters in the United States. Methods. We pooled data across 10 independent survey samples from the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey from December 2022 to September 2023. Survey questions asked about displacement from home because of natural disasters, duration of displacement, and impacts of disasters. Results. In our weighted sample of 213 234 003 adults, 3 166 500 (1.5%) reported displacement in the past year because of a natural disaster. People of color, sexual and gender minority populations, and those with lower incomes, disabilities, or unfavorable social determinants of health (SDOH) such as food insecurity were more likely to report displacement. Long-term displacement was more common with fires compared with other disasters. Disaster impacts, including food and water shortage, electricity loss, unsanitary conditions, feeling isolated, and experiencing scams, were more common among people of color and individuals with lower education or income. Conclusions. Many people in the United States, particularly from health disparity populations, are displaced because of natural disasters. Addressing SDOH and other vulnerability factors may help improve disaster preparedness and mitigate postdisaster impacts. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 24, 2024:e1-e11. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307854).

Google Earth Engine application for mapping and monitoring drought patterns and trends: A case study in Arkansas, USA

Drought is a prolonged dry period that can have severe impacts on the environment, human health, economies, agriculture, and energy resources. It can lead to water shortages, ruin crops, dry out forests, and reduce the availability of food and water for wildlife and livestock. The primary objectives of this study are to: 1) quantify the variability and distributions of drought patterns in Arkansas, United States (US), 2) use remotely sensed indices to investigate the correlation between drought and vegetation cover in the area, and 3) develop a cloud-based framework (user-friendly app) to facilitate the assessment of drought impact in Arkansas over the past decades. A correlation analysis was also performed between the Vegetation Health Index (VHI) and meteorological indices to better understand the impact of meteorological drought on vegetation stress. In addition, Mann-Kendall trend analysis was used to assess trends in meteorological drought indices. The results indicate that drought is most prevalent during March and August months. The results of this study revealed that approximately 31% of the study area fell under the four drought classes (i.e., 1% Extreme drought, 4% Severe drought, 9% moderate drought, and 19% mild drought), with spring and the growing season experiencing moderate drought, particularly in agricultural areas, most notably within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Plain at both state and county levels. In August, approximately 31% of the study area fell under the Four drought classes (i.e., 1% Extreme drought, 4% Severe drought, 9% moderate drought, and 19% mild drought), with spring and the growing season experiencing moderate drought, particularly in agricultural areas, most notably within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Plain at both state and county levels. This study provides an essential foundation for policymakers, environmental scientists, and agricultural stakeholders aiming to mitigate drought impacts and safeguard against future climate uncertainties.

Joint guarantee rate index assessment of the contribution of agricultural water-saving measures to river ecological flow in water shortage areas

Reconciling higher ecological water demands and economic purposes with finite freshwater resources remains one of the great management dilemmas. Low water efficiency and large water consumption in agricultural irrigation hinder the protection of river ecological flow in the water shortage areas of Northwest China. By analyzing the surplus and shortage of river ecological protection targets, the intensity guarantee rate index is innovatively proposed to quantitatively evaluate the important contribution of improved water-saving measures for river flow restoration. It compensates for the shortcomings of the duration guarantee rate index in evaluation that may mask ecological problems. Considering ecological baseflow, fish species, and landscape water demand, the ecological flow interval (6.00–12.42 m3/s) was determined. Three scenarios are highlighted for different typical years and irrigation regimes in combination with planting structure adjustment and irrigation water utilization coefficient. In 75 %, 90 %, and 95 % typical years, the maximum total annual water-savings (Scenario 3) are 57.3, 57.1, and 87.2 million m3 (sufficient irrigation); 32.2, 33.9, and 35.5 million m3 (deficit irrigation) respectively. The guarantee degree of river ecological flow under both irrigation regimes increased from the previous 65.6 % to a maximum of 91.7 % and 81.2 %. The increase in the daily guarantee rate and decrease in the intensity guarantee rate under the aforementioned three scenarios indicate a reduction of damage depth and duration of ecological flow. By using a quantitative study, it is pointed out that improving agricultural water-saving is a reasonable and necessary way to protect the river flow.

Land Use Changes and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Domestic Water Consumption in the Northern Slope of Tianshan Mountains

Rapid population growth and subsequent urbanization pose significant challenges of water shortage in arid regions. As an important area along the One Belt and One Road line, the Northern Slope of Tianshan Mountains (NSTM) has suffered from water shortages owing to rapid urbanization in recent decades. To conserve water resources and protect the ecosystem, understanding the temporal and spatial variations of the domestic water consumption, availability, and its influencing factors is essential. According to water resource regionalization and its characteristics in NSTM, it was divided into three sections, namely the west section, the middle section, and the east section. In addition, this work characterized the temporal and spatial variation of domestic water consumption in NSTM with a focus on the understanding of the influence of urbanization on domestic water consumption from 1990 to 2020 based on three sections. The results showed that during this period of time, construction land use increased by 2256 km2 corresponding to the population increase of 158.58 × 104. Subsequently, the total domestic water consumption increased from 7.55 × 107 m3 in 1990 to 2.60 × 108 m3 in 2020. The eastern section demonstrated steady growth, while the western and middle sections experienced larger fluctuations in domestic water consumption. Urbanization has been identified as a significant factor influencing the shift in domestic water consumption. This study offers a scientific foundation for the sustainable management of water resources in arid areas.

‘Taming’ a Wicked Problem: Selective Problematisation of Issues of Urban Water Supply in Mumbai

The lack of universal urban water access in the cities in the global south is a wicked problem. Using the case of Mumbai, this paper illustrates how consistently this wicked problem was chiselled and selectively problematised to turn it into a tame problem – a problem of water shortages at the city level. The chiselling included neglecting the essential aspects of urban water supply, such as supply coverage, pressure and leakages, which define the quality of urban water service received by citizens. Through chiselling and selective problematisation, the paper illustrates how the problem of providing universal urban water access in Mumbai was ignored for decades and the issues of water shortages were emphasised alone to justify and prioritise the development of dams.

Production and optimization of activated carbon from plant waste with high specific surface area for moisture-saving applications in agriculture

In conditions of water shortage, sustainable agricultural development requires the use of water-saving technologies, including the use of water-retaining substrates based on activated carbon. In this work, the textural and adsorption characteristics of activated carbon obtained from plant waste were studied at different mass ratios of the sorbent and KOH (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4). The aim of the study was to determine the optimal activation conditions for creating a material with a high specific surface area and a developed porous structure. The results showed that the largest pore volume (1.6 cm3/g) and a high degree of microporosity are achieved at a ratio of 1:3, which is confirmed by the analysis of pore distribution using the DFT and BJH methods. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of functional groups (O–H, C=O and C–O) that contribute to water conservation. The differential pore volume distribution (dv(r), cm3/Å/g) also demonstrated that at a ratio of sorbent and KOH (1:3), the sample structure optimally combines micropores and mesopores, which increases the adsorption capacity of carbon.