Water treatment

Abstract

Humankind has 1.4 trillion litres of water at its disposal on Earth, of which only 3% is freshwater. Around 60-70% of fresh water resources are used for irrigation in agriculture, the rest is consumed by human beings and industry, though quality and quantity differ from one region to the next. Water is essential to all life processes. Indeed, all living beings are generally made up to a large extent of water. Presumably, the reason for water's core position as the basis of life is to be found in its properties as a solvent for solids, gases and other liquids. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.