Vol. 12, Issue 10 (2023)

Author(s):
Jagtap Rajkumar Ghanshyam, Mohod AG, Khandetod YP, Dhande KG, Patil MB, Patharkar HS and Ghodake HS

Abstract:
The availability of fresh water has become a significant concern due to various factors, such as climate change, population growth, water contamination, and water usage policies. Two essential requirements for water treatment are the presence of brackish water and a reliable energy source, like solar energy. In India, there are approximately 3.9 million hectares of estuaries and 0.5 million hectares of mangrove areas that offer potential sources of brackish water. The Konkan region, known for its hilly terrain and abundant rainfall ranging from 2500 to 4000 mm annually, also benefits from 8-9 months of solar energy availability, with an average of 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sunshine per day from September to May. Three specific sites, namely Burondi, Harnai, and Tadil, were selected for brackish water collection and analysis. To differentiate between brackish water samples collected at different distances from the sea coast, labels such as Ws200, Ws300, and Ws400 were assigned. These labels corresponded to brackish water samples obtained at distances of 200 meters, 300 meters, and 400 meters from the sea coast, respectively. The analysis of brackish water samples included eight properties: pH, turbidity, TDS, total hardness, dissolved oxygen, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. Desalinated water samples were labelled as Ws200, Ws300, and Ws400 as per the corresponding distance of collection of brackish water samples. The output capacity for Ws200, Ws300, and Ws400 is 2.06 LPH, 2.40 LPH, and 2.82 LPH, respectively. For Ws200, Ws300, and Ws400, the energy consumption is 0.02717 kWh, 0.2760 kWh, and 0.2769 kWh, respectively. Ws200 has the highest specific energy consumption of 0.1319 kWh/lit., while Ws400 has the lowest of 0.0979 kWh/lit. Sample Ws400 has the highest overall desalination efficiency (14.33%), while sample Ws200 has the lowest (10.33%). Values obtained from the chemical analysis of the desalinated water, comply with the standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. This suggests that the desalinated water meets the recommended guidelines for safe consumption.