Inorganic water pollutants

Abstract

Water is one of the vital ingredients for life on the Earth and plays a key role in the economic as well as social development of the world, as it is required for various industrial processes to increase production. It acts as a universal solvent, as many inorganic and organic contaminants get dissolved in it easily. Some common examples of inorganic substances are heavy metals, halides, oxyanions and cations, radioactive materials, etc. Because of the nonbiodegradability of inorganic pollutants, they may persist longer in the aqueous systems and cause further deterioration of the water quality. Only 1% of the available freshwater found in the rivers, lakes, and as groundwater (0.003%) is potable for the living creatures of the Earth. After prolonged consumption, the presence of heavy metals and other anionic contaminants (arsenic, nitrate, fluoride) causes serious illnesses (sometimes even cancer) in humans. Several techniques are also discussed in this chapter as remedial measures for reducing the toxicity of these inorganic pollutants so that people can consume safe drinking water. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.