Role of renewable energy and nanotechnology in sustainable desalination of water: mini review

ABSTRACT

Desalination is the ultimate solution for solving global water crisis. The methods used for elimination of salts from seawater initially operated on fossil fuel energy that created pollution and untreated waste. Currently, desalination plants are being incorporated with renewable energy resources and nanotechnology to cut down this pollution and waste production. The renewable energies like solar, geothermal, wave energy, wind energy, hydrothermal and biomass are applied to run desalination plants. The use of these resources largely depends on the climate. However, nanomaterial integrated to boost efficiency of the system are independent of the environmental conditions. This review articles provides an overview of the recent developments in the desalination systems, different methods devised therein and types of nanomaterial used. Results of the critical evaluation expressed the solar energy to be the most promising source for providing requisite energy followed by nano-porous membranes made out of nanomaterial to be the most suitable to filter out the mineral content from the seawater input. There are some limitations, some of which are overlooked and others are settled by renewing the membranes material at regular intervals. The biggest advantage these methods signifies the facile operational mode and cost effectiveness.

KEYWORDS:

• Water scarcity
• salt content
• green methods
• solar energy
• nanotechnology

Acknowledgments

The concept, idea, data and writing is the intellectual property right of Dr Khuram Shahzad Ahmad and Lab E-21 of Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, The Mall, 46000, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).