A Scientific Study at the University of Bahrain Stresses the Role of Water Treatment in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Sakhir – University of Bahrain

 

May 31, 2023

 

A scientific study conducted at the University of Bahrain stressed the role of water treatment in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030, particularly Goal No. (6) (clean water and sanitation).

 

The study, prepared by faculty member and PhD student in the Environment and Sustainable Development Program at the College of Science, researcher Mona Abdulaziz Al-Jar, aimed to treat industrial wastewater to be usable, through using adsorption technology to remove pollutants in this type of water.

 

The PhD thesis was titled “Development of Polymeric Hydrogels as an Alternative Approach for Wastewater Treatment in the Kingdom of Bahrain”.

 

Adsorption technology is one of the effective techniques in treating industrial water pollutants and organic and inorganic compounds in water systems, which may cause environmental problems with negative impacts on water quality. It is noteworthy that adsorption, which is a physiochemical phenomenon through which adsorbents made from natural (low-cost) materials are used can attract adsorbates to their surfaces, receives great attention from researchers.

 

The researcher recommended the importance of using a sustainable and safe approach to manufacture polymers, using natural and synthetic polymers, along with nanoparticles. Two materials were developed for water purification; The first consists of (polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate and Bentonite clay) to remove organic pigments, and the second consists of (polyvinyl alcohol, chitosan and cellulose) to remove heavy minerals.

 

Al-Jar said industrial pigments and heavy minerals are common water pollutants, as they dissolve easily in water. She added that industrial wastewater requires chemical treatment to remove hazardous chemicals, to comply with statutory limits, so that it can be discharged into public sewage networks or to surface waters.

 

It is worth noting that three scientific papers were published in international peer-reviewed journals through this study, which reflects the role of water treatment research and its importance in enhancing the productivity and efficiency of scientific research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The discussion panel consisted of Dr. Wael Abdel-Qader Amer as an internal examiner, and Professor Amr Hussein from the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as an external examiner. And Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Fattah Hussein supervised the study, and Assistant Professor, Dr. Suad Ahmed Rashdan was an assistant supervisor,

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