The silent treatment: How minerals are giving water a new lease of life
By Liz Gyekye
Published: Monday, 27 April 2015
With around 2m tonnes of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste discharged into the world’s waterways every day, it is crucial that wastewater is treated thoroughly. Liz Gyekye, Chief Reporter, examines how minerals form a key part of many wastewater treatment systems.
Urban wastewater, commonly referred to as sewage,
is generally a mixture of domestic waste from baths, sinks,
washing machines and toilets, as described by the
UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural
Affairs (Defra).
The United Nations estimates that the amount of wastewater
produced annually is around 1,500km³, six...