The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has come up with a solution to manage municipal waste and polluted water.

Scientists at India’s premier nuclear research centre have devised four technologies that could go a long way in tackling the country’s rising problem of uncontrolled municipal waste and treat the largely polluted ground and surface drinking water.

Enlarging the scope of radiation, scientists have developed the use of Gamma rays to cleanse municipal sewage sludge.

Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre have devised four technologies that could go a long way in tackling the country’s rising problem of uncontrolled municipal waste

According to official estimates, Indian cities and towns generate about 38,254 million litres per day (MLD) of sludge (0.1 per cent solid content in the sewage) of which only about 11,787 MLD is treated, leaving a capacity gap of 26,467 MLD.

“The high frequency radiation renders the pathogens inactive and degrades the toxic chemicals inside the sludge which presently is disposed into the sea or is incinerated, involving vast energy, or goes into the landfills after being transported through huge distances, causing environment degradation,” said Lalit Varshney, Head of the Radiation Technology Development Division, BARC.

The sludge, a vital source of macro and micro nutrients like Nitrogen Phosphorous, Potassium, Zinc, Iron and Copper, after being treated, becomes a healthy organic fertiliser for the crops.

These plants could be set up both at Sewage Treatment Plants or elsewhere.

In another mechanism, the Nisargruna plant has been developed for processing the biodegradable waste materials generated in kitchens, vegetable markets, slaughter houses, food and fruit processing units, agro-waste, and biological sludge created in the effluent treatment plants of food, paper and textile industries and biomass.

The technology produces organic manure and biogas after biomethanation.

The Plasma Technology, which breaks down the hazardous and toxic compounds at high temperatures at garbage dumps, has also been upgraded by the scientists.

While inorganic materials are converted into vitrified mass, organic materials could be pyrolysed or converted into gases like hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other lower hydrocarbon gases.

The new technology could offer ways of extracting toxins from water allowing it to be used for domestic purposes

These gases further could be employed in other uses. In what it calls spin-off technologies, developed in the course of atomic research, the agency has also developed a coated Polysulfone membrane, which can separate the microorganisms up to 99.99 per cent when used in an online domestic water purifier.

According to scientists, the device does not require electricity or any addition of chemicals and effectively removes all suspended particulates, colour, and odour from the contaminated ground water, unlike a conventional Ultraviolet treatment-based membrane.

The ultrafiltration membrane also removes secondary pollutants like fluorides, aluminum, arsenic and iron.

For producing potable water from brackish hard water, removal of heavy metal contaminants, microbes, treatment of saline water in rivers and streams and for extensive industrial uses, BARC has also launched Thin Film Composite Charged Nanofiltration Membranes.

The technology also finds tremendous use in domestic water purification.

In addition, a Dip-n-Drink Membrane has been introduced which could be taken to remote locations during disaster conditions to purify water.