Identification of non-conventional methods and techniques in drinking water treatment processes.

Abstract

In recent years, water quality degradation has become a critical challenge. This problem not only threatens the well-being of millions of individuals, but also endangers biodiversity and the sustainability of sectors such as agriculture and industry. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine non-traditional technologies and procedures employed to address the challenges present in drinking water processing. A descriptive design non-experimental approach was used as part of a systematic review without meta-analysis. We relied on the PICO strategy and PRISMA methodology, which allowed us to select 26 articles, following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, published between 2019 and 2024, which were obtained from Scopus, SciELO, Redalyc and EBSCOhost databases. The results highlight key issues such as the need for constant evaluation, the presence of pathogens, turbidity and contamination of emerging components. Also, the alternatives were organized into natural methods, nanotechnology, computational systems and predictive models, disinfection technology, control system and sensitive perception, and water treatment technology. A comparison was made with WHO water quality standards and their impact on both the community and the environment was evaluated. It was concluded that the selection of treatments should be based on the characteristics of the water to be treated for efficient results, and the importance of their implementation for responsible sustainable development was also highlighted.