Sustainable groundwater treatment technologies for underserved rural communities in emerging economies

Abstract Purpose of Review This paper reviews various low-cost treatment techniques such as adsorption, permeable reactive barrier, and biological techniques for the simultaneous removal of chemical and microbial contaminants from groundwater and discusses treatment mechanisms of different treatment techniques. This paper also discusses the challenges of groundwater treatment, how to choose the appropriate treatment technique, and cost analysis of groundwater treatment. Recent Findings Various treatment technologies have been used for the treatment of groundwater: physical, chemical, and biological technologies with different success rates. In the literature, various adsorbents have been successfully synthesized from low-cost and environmentally friendly materials. Adsorption is considered an efficient treatment technique for the removal of both toxic elements and pathogens by utilizing different adsorbents. For example, the nanostructures of MgO with a BET surface area of up to 171 m2/g obtained a very high adsorption capacity of 29,131 mg/g for fluoride ions in water, while the incorporation of iron in activated carbon has improved its adsorption capacity to 51.3 mg/g for arsenic. Moreover, certain adsorbents have shown the capability to remove 99% of the rotavirus and adenovirus from groundwater. Summary Groundwater resources are contaminated with toxic metals and pathogens. Therefore, water treatment technologies should be evaluated for their efficiency to remove such contaminants. Determination of the most cost-effective and efficient treatment technique is not an easy task and requires the understanding of various aspects such as the contaminants present in water, the reuse options considered, and cost analysis of the treatment technique.

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Establishing an interval-valued fuzzy decision-making method for sustainable selection of healthcare waste treatment technologies in the emerging economies

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management ◽

10.1007/s10163-019-00943-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 501-514 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hao Li ◽

Jinlin Li ◽

Zengbo Zhang ◽

Xueli Cao ◽

Jingrong Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Emerging Economies ◽

Waste Treatment ◽

Fuzzy Decision Making ◽

Fuzzy Decision ◽

Healthcare Waste ◽

Treatment Technologies ◽

Interval Valued ◽

Selection Of

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Treatment technologies for municipal and industrial wastes with a focus on groundwater treatment

10.1201/9781003004066-3 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 19-39

Author(s):

Subijoy Dutta

Keyword(s):

Industrial Wastes ◽

Groundwater Treatment ◽

Treatment Technologies

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A matrix model towards CSR – moving from one size fit approach

Journal of Strategy and Management ◽

10.1108/jsma-07-2018-0071 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 243-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Saju Jose ◽

Krishna Venkitachalam

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Matrix Model ◽

Emerging Economies ◽

Low Income ◽

Business Environment ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Future Research ◽

Global Business ◽

Content Type ◽

The Matrix

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) research is often dominated in a western context. Perhaps, with the rapid expansion of organisations in the context of emerging economies, there is a pressing need for the development of a new dimension. Organisations operating in emerging markets must address the social challenges of serving low-income consumers and rural communities as part of their CSR strategy. The next era of CSR should look out for a period of experimentation and innovation as organisations advance their core business objectives by addressing existing social and environmental issues, which are dependent on market and industry settings. The purpose of this paper is the requirement of careful considerations when formulating the CSR framework for different industries and markets in the global business environment and this is the focus in this paper. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a review and certain limitations of the literature on the highly cited works such as stakeholder theory and Carroll’s pyramid model. Following on, the proposed matrix model, related discussion of the four phases and associated propositions are explained in the paper. Finally, some concluding remarks on the need for a new look on CSR in the context of non-western markets are presented. Findings In this paper, the authors introduce “The matrix model of CSR” as a starting attempt and a guideline in formulating the CSR approach across industry and countries, particularly illustrating in the context of diverse organisations in different sectors. However, this model is at a conceptual level and future research could allow empirical testing and refinement of the “matrix model” in different market and industry conditions. Originality/value A CSR model for multiple organisational contexts would provide more insight for the relevant stakeholders regarding their CSR activities. Thus, this article attempts to suggest a CSR matrix model and it takes a phased approach by classifying the CSR activities based on the degrees of CSR and altruistic nature of activities that could be adapted for other industries as well as emerging economies.

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Income Inequality in Quality of Life among Rural Communities in Malaysia: A Case for Immediate Policy Consideration

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238731 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8731

Author(s):

Govindamal Thangiah ◽

Mas Ayu Said ◽

Hazreen Abdul Majid ◽

Daniel Reidpath ◽

Tin Tin Su

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Emerging Economies ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Rural Residents ◽

Income Groups ◽

The Impact

Quality of life (QOL) is a proxy of health and social well-being. Hence, it is vital to assess QOL as it informs the strategies of policymakers to enhance the living conditions in communities. Rural areas in emerging economies are underserved in terms of modern facilities and technologies, which impact QOL. To address this, this study investigated whether income played a role in the QOL of rural residents within emerging economies using a large survey of Malaysian adults above 18 years old. The study extracted data from a sample of 18,607 respondents of a health and demographic surveillance system survey. A generalized linear model was used to estimate the impact of three income groups, the bottom 40%, middle 40% and top 20%, on perceived QOL, controlling for sociodemographic, chronic disease co-morbidities and mental health status. Results of the study showed a statistically significant association between income and the physical, psychological, social and environmental QOL domains. Using the bottom 40% as a reference category, the middle 40% and top 20% income groups showed a significant and positive association across the four domains of QOL. Hence, intervention programs are necessary to escalate the income levels of rural communities, especially the bottom 40%, to uplift perceived QOL among rural residents.

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Low-cost natural wastewater treatment technologies in rural communities using Instream Wetland, Moringa Oleifera, and Aeration Weirs – A comparative study

Cogent Engineering ◽

10.1080/23311916.2020.1846244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1846244

Author(s):

Rasha El Gohary

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Moringa Oleifera ◽

Low Cost ◽

Treatment Technologies

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Significance of Algae in eliminating and deactivating pathological index Organisms in Wastewater Stabilization Pond Systems

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/20199601001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 96 ◽

pp. 01001

Author(s):

Fadwa Ali Hussein Al-Tameemi ◽

Thura Awad Kadhim

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Algal Growth ◽

Indicator Organisms ◽

Potential Health ◽

E Coli ◽

Treatment Technologies ◽

Higher Temperature ◽

Lower Temperature ◽

Time Required ◽

Economical Alternative

Wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) are an economical alternative to conventional wastewater treatment technologies. They are commonly favored by small and rural communities. Due to long hydraulic retention time required by the treatment in these systems, algal activity is often expected during summer season. This study investigated the effects of algal growth on the removal and inactivation of pathogenic indicator organisms in WSP systems. Two predominant algae species (Mougeotia sp. and Nostochopsis sp) that were found in Iraq (Alkhademiyah sewage station in Baghdad) WSP were able to increase both pH and DO. The highest inactivation rates of both E. coli and total coliforms (TC) were observed at pH 10.6 compared to other pH (5.1, 8.2, 8.4, 10.6) investigated in the bench-scale experiments. Both high (20mg/L) and low DO (1 mg/L) levels can facilitate the removal and inactivation of both E. coli and TC. Enterococci were significantly reduced at both intermediate (8.6 mg/L) and high (20 mg/L) DO concentrations. Therefore, the presence of algae can potentially promote the removal of E. coli, TC and Enterococci. Much higher inactivation of E. coli, TC and Enterococci at a higher temperature (20°C) than at a lower temperature (4°C) indicates temperature is one the most important removal factor. Two potential/additional indicator organisms (Enterococci and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens)) exhibited different inactivation trends than the traditional indicators (E. coli and TC) under the same pH and DO conditions. C. perfringens were tolerant to all the tested pH, DO and temperature conditions. Their resistance to environmental stresses may pose potential health risk. Hence, both Enterococci and C. perfringens could be potentially used as indictor organisms to predict the overall level of pathogens in treatedwastewater.

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