Preface

Water pollution and its impact on human health are frequently discussed in this age . Several research studies and projects are undertaken and accomplished year after year. However , sustainable water resource management is still a serious concern in most developing countries. Moreover , the problem of water contamination and its purification are greater challenges and a lot of the research tends to be futile. There is, therefore , a need to design and develop appropriate methodologies in order to improve the quality of water. By keeping this view in mind, the present book is written with clear objectives: to develop a basic idea about various challenges in water pollution and their removal.

Regarding the organization, the book consists of seven chapters, well-arranged in a coherent manner.

• Chapter one deals with the different water purification techniques used for safe drinking water production, potential threats, and challenges.
• Chapter two focuses exclusively on fluoride removal by adsorption method using activated alumina modified with different materials and isothermal studies.
• Chapter three is the result-oriented chapter that discusses different parameters affecting photocatalytic degradation of substituted benzoic acids.
• Chapter four covers the analysis of seasonal and spatial variations of water quality of Dulhara and Ved ponds in Ratnapur, Chhattisgarh, India.
• Chapter five examines the degradation of benzoic acid by iron nanoparticles as a photo-catalyst using an advanced oxidation process (AOP). This chapter also discusses the synthesis of Fe nanoparticles via hydrothermal process at ordinary and elevated temperatures .
• Chapter six deals with wastewater treatment using modern methods supported by nanoscale materials.
• Chapter seven discusses the impact of water mismanagement on the environment and suggests preventive measures for proper water utilization.

This book is meant for postgraduate and research scholars in the field of physical sciences, chemistry, and material sciences interested in water treatment, photocatalytic degradation, advanced oxidation process, and solar cell. The book will explore and help readers understand fundamental as well as advanced studies on these processes. Chapters in the book also provide future scope and challenges in both the phenomena, which allow readers to understand basic and current status in the fields. It is hoped that the book shall provide guidelines to all interested in research studies of one sort or the other.

We are highly indebted to our students and learned colleagues for providing the necessary stimulus for writing the book. We are grateful to all those persons whose writings and works have helped us in the preparation of this book. We are equally thankful to the reviewers of

this edited book who made extremely valuable suggestions and have thus contributed to improving its quality .

We will feel highly rewarded if the book proves helpful in the development of genuine research studies. We look forward to suggestions from all readers, researchers, and scholars for further improving the content of the book.