Improving Drinking Water Quality by Remineralisation

Area of Science:

• Water treatment technologies
• Environmental chemistry
• Materials science

Background:

• Low mineral content in source water is a global issue, particularly affecting regions relying on desalination.
• Enriching drinking water with essential minerals like calcium and magnesium is crucial for public health.
• Current water treatment methods require optimization for efficient mineral enrichment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and intensify the recarbonization process for drinking water.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of using half-calcined dolomite and carbon dioxide.
• To assess the performance of a fluidised bed reactor in enhancing recarbonization.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing half-calcined dolomite and carbon dioxide for water recarbonization.
• Employing a fluidised bed reactor for enhanced process efficiency.
• Applying kinetic modeling (first-order model) and hydrodynamic analysis (Richardson and Zaki equation).

Main Results:

• Continuous carbon dioxide addition increased recarbonization rates by approximately tenfold.
• The fluidised bed reactor significantly improved process efficiency.
• Smaller half-calcined dolomite particles led to higher recarbonization rates.
• Experimental data showed good agreement with hydrodynamic and kinetic models.

Conclusions:

• The combined use of half-calcined dolomite, carbon dioxide, and a fluidised bed reactor is an effective method for intensifying drinking water recarbonization.
• This approach offers a promising solution for improving the mineral content of drinking water, especially in desalination-reliant regions.
• Further research into particle size optimization can further enhance recarbonization efficiency.