A Pakistani researcher based at an Italian university has developed a low-cost solar-powered plasma water treatment system capable of removing toxic chemicals, antibiotic residues, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and a wide range of emerging contaminants from wastewater.
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Developed by Dr Mubashir Saleem, a graduate of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, and a researcher at the University of Padua, Italy, the SolarPlas system uses non-thermal plasma technology to treat contaminated wastewater without adding treatment chemicals.
Designed to operate using solar or wind energy, the system is virtually energy-neutral and provides advanced water treatment through a single compact process.
Dr Saleem said Pakistan, particularly Karachi, is facing an increasingly severe water crisis, while industrial effluents and untreated sewage continue to contaminate rivers, drains and coastal waters.
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He said industries could recycle wastewater using the SolarPlas system instead of discharging untreated effluent into the sea, reducing environmental pollution while lowering freshwater consumption and operating costs.
Explaining the technology, Dr Saleem said the system generates non-thermal plasma by applying high voltage to water.
The plasma produces highly reactive species, including hydroxyl radicals and ozone, which rapidly break down organic pollutants, pharmaceutical residues and other persistent contaminants while simultaneously inactivating harmful microorganisms without requiring additional treatment chemicals.
He added that SolarPlas performs multiple treatment functions in a single step. Conventional wastewater treatment systems generally require several additional treatment stages to achieve similar removal of emerging contaminants, effective disinfection and improved water quality.
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According to Dr Saleem, many conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not designed to completely remove emerging contaminants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, hormone residues, pharmaceutical compounds and personal care product chemicals.
These pollutants can persist in treated wastewater and enter rivers, groundwater and drinking water supplies.
Laboratory testing of hospital wastewater showed that the SolarPlas system completely inactivated antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes under the tested conditions, while removing more than 95% of organic pollutants and reducing antibiotic residues by up to 99%.
The researcher also noted that analyses of wastewater from Karachi’s Lyari River detected significant concentrations of antibiotic residues and other emerging contaminants, highlighting concerns over antimicrobial resistance, environmental pollution and long-term public health risks.
Dr Saleem urged policymakers to adopt modern wastewater treatment regulations and promote advanced treatment technologies capable of removing contaminants that conventional systems often fail to eliminate.
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He said the modular system can be scaled from individual households to large industrial facilities. A domestic unit is expected to cost between Rs300,000 and Rs500,000 and can produce recycled water suitable for irrigation, gardening, vehicle washing and other non-potable uses.
When integrated with a reverse osmosis (RO) unit, the treated water can also be made suitable for drinking, subject to compliance with applicable drinking water quality standards.
According to Dr Saleem, the technology is particularly well suited for water-stressed countries such as Pakistan, where wastewater recycling and industrial pollution control will become increasingly important as freshwater resources continue to decline.
