Nonpoint source pollutionNonpoint source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination (or pollution) of water or air that does not originate from a single discrete source. This type of pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. It is in contrast to point source pollution which results from a single source. Nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage, or hydrological modification (rainfall and snowmelt) where tracing pollution back to a single source is difficult.
Portable water purificationPortable water purification devices are self-contained, easily transported units used to purify water from untreated sources (such as rivers, lakes, and wells) for drinking purposes. Their main function is to eliminate pathogens, and often also of suspended solids and some unpalatable or toxic compounds. These units provide an autonomous supply of drinking water to people without access to clean water supply services, including inhabitants of developing countries and disaster areas, military personnel, campers, hikers, and workers in wilderness, and survivalists.
Matière en suspensionvignette|Série solide. Taille et état : solides en suspension (non filtrables) Les matières en suspension (ou MES) (ou particules en suspension) désignent les matières solides insolubles visibles à l'œil nu présentes en suspension dans un liquide. Les matières en suspension totales (MEST) sont une mesure des matières en suspensions. Rapporté à un cours d'eau on parle de charge en suspension. Plus une eau en contient, plus elle est dite turbide.
Organisms involved in water purificationMost organisms involved in water purification originate from the waste, wastewater or water stream itself or arrive as resting spore of some form from the atmosphere. In a very few cases, mostly associated with constructed wetlands, specific organisms are planted to maximise the efficiency of the process. Biota are an essential component of most sewage treatment processes and many water purification systems. Most of the organisms involved are derived from the waste, wastewater or water stream itself or from the atmosphere or soil water.
Énergie osmotiquevignette|L'installation par électrodialyse inverse (RED) aux Pays-Bas. L’énergie osmotique, ou énergie bleue, est l'énergie dégagée lors de la rencontre entre deux eaux avec des concentrations en sel différentes (entre l'eau de mer et l'eau d’une rivière par exemple). À l’issue du processus ne reste que de l'eau saumâtre. Cette énergie a été inscrite en 2022 dans la directive RED II de l’Union européenne, comme une source d’énergie renouvelable au même titre que d’autres énergies renouvelables telles que l’énergie solaire ou éolienne.
Tunneling nanotubeA tunneling nanotube (TNT) or membrane nanotube is a term that has been applied to protrusions that extend from the plasma membrane which enable different animal cells to touch over long distances, sometimes over 100 μm between T cells. Two types of structures have been called nanotubes. The first type are less than 0.7 micrometers in diameter, contain actin and carry portions of plasma membrane between cells in both directions. The second type are larger (>0.
ElectrodeionizationElectrodeionization (EDI) is a water treatment technology that uses DC power, ion exchange membranes, and ion exchange resin to deionize water. EDI is usually a polishing treatment for reverse osmosis (RO). EDI differs from other RO polishing technologies, such as chemically regenerated mixed beds, in that it is continuous and requires no chemical regeneration. EDI is sometimes referred to as "continuous electrodeionization" (CEDI) since the electric current regenerates the ion exchange resin mass continuously.
