Water Treatment

This book details how the water quality of the Blesbokspruit River in Gauteng, South Africa was socially constructed by stakeholders and key individuals in the context of acid mine drainage (AMD) and its treatment. Social constructionism is used as the framing for this research to explain how water is intrinsically social.

Offering a comprehensive view of water-treatment technologies, Nanomaterials for Water Treatment and Remediation explores recent developments in the use of advanced nanomaterials (ANMs) for water treatment and remediation. In-depth reaction mechanisms in water-treatment technologies, including adsorption, catalysis, and membrane filtration for water purification using ANMs, are discussed in detail. The book includes an investigation of the fabrication processes of nanostructured materials and the fundamental aspects of surfaces at the nanoscale. The book also covers the removal of water-borne pathogens and microbes through a photochemical approach.

This book details how the water quality of the Blesbokspruit River in Gauteng, South Africa was socially constructed by stakeholders and key individuals in the context of acid mine drainage (AMD) and its treatment. Social constructionism is used as the framing for this research to explain how water is intrinsically social.
Findings presented here show that stakeholders are aware that the changes in the physicality of the Blesbokspruit resulted from human interventions and varied uses of the water over the years. Such knowledge, among factors such as the historical context of mining, current coal mining, flows and volumes of water, technology used and processes followed, information and communication, and vested interests influence social constructions of the water quality. What counts as the truth about water varies depending on the individual’s perspective, their purpose, and their individual interests. Further, how one defines water quality influences what treatment processes are preferred in order to improve water quality.