10.57647/j.jap.2025.0901.08

Sustainable Water Treatment Solutions: Enhancing Efficiency with Tube Settlers to Address Water Scarcity

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  • Mohsen Memarzadeh1,
  • Mozhgan Ahmadi Nadoushan*1,
  • Payam Najafi2,
  • Mehran Hoodaji3,
  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
  2. Department of Water Engineering, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
  3. Department of Soil Science, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2025-03-12

Revised: 2025-04-05

Accepted: 2025-06-05

Published in Issue 2025-07-01

Copyright (c) 2025 Mohsen Memarzadeh, Mozhgan Ahmadi Nadoushan, Payam Najafi, Mehran Hoodaji (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Memarzadeh, M., Ahmadi Nadoushan, M., Najafi, P., & Hoodaji, M. (2025). Sustainable Water Treatment Solutions: Enhancing Efficiency with Tube Settlers to Address Water Scarcity. Anthropogenic Pollution, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.57647/j.jap.2025.0901.08
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Abstract

Water scarcity has emerged as a pressing global challenge, exacerbated by factors such as climate change, population growth, and industrialization (United Nations, 2023).  One such promising technology is the integration of tube settlers into existing water treatment frameworks. Tube settlers are gravity-assisted sedimentation devices that enhance the efficiency of the clarification process by promoting the aggregation and settling of suspended solids (AWWA, 2011). The application of tube settler technology has significantly advanced water treatment by reducing detention time and enhancing sedimentation through high-rate sedimentation principles. This study evaluates the impact of integrating innovative tube settlers into the sedimentation processes of water treatment plants. A comparative analysis was conducted to compare conventional accelerator clarifiers with enhanced clarifiers equipped with tube settlers. Tube settler groups, inclined at a 60° angle and measuring 90 cm in lengthir, were used to facilitate the flow of screened raw water. Key parameters including the number of backwashes per day, energy consumption, and removal efficiencies of Al³⁺, Fe³⁺, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), and biological agents (diatoms, nematodes, rotifers, protozoa, and algae) were assessed. The study highlighted significant reductions in treatment costs, with a 25% decrease in electricity consumption and improved contaminant removal. Clarifiers equipped with tube settlers demonstrated significantly higher removal efficiencies for all parameters measured, with average removal rates of 74% for Al³⁺, 60% for Fe³⁺, 77% for total suspended solids (TSS), and 92% for algae. These findings confirm that integrating tube settlers greatly enhances the efficiency of water treatment processes. It is recommended that designers of water treatment plants include tube settlers in the initial design phase, and prioritize re-engineering efforts to ensure optimal operation.

Keywords

  • Water treatment technologies,
  • Sedimentation,
  • Water treatment efficiency,
  • Water clarification,
  • Water pollution
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