Ravikant Nanwatkar,
Sahil Umbarkar,
Sujal Thakur,
Shrikant Raut,
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s NBN Sinhgad Techical Institutes Campus, Ambegaon, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- U.G Students, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s NBN Sinhgad Techical Institutes Campus, Ambegaon, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- U.G Students, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s NBN Sinhgad Techical Institutes Campus, Ambegaon, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- U.G Students, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s NBN Sinhgad Techical Institutes Campus, Ambegaon, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Safe drinking water is still a major problem in developing countries, especially in areas with water scarcity, pollution or poor infrastructure. Portable water purifiers have come to the fore as solutions that are realistic to narrow this gap providing flexibility and accessibility in household and industrial environments as well. In this study, promising techniques, materials and technologies used in portable water treatment equipment design have been reviewed. We review important purification technologies, such as membrane processes (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis), UV and LED-based disinfection, activated carbon adsorption, and new nanomaterial-mediated processes such as photo catalysis and nanofiltration. Special focus is laid on advanced polymeric materials such as graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, zeolites, silver nanoparticles, performance enhancement, antimicrobial action, and sustainability. Beyond the technological advances, the study reviews the latest developments in hybrid systems combining several purification stages for high-quality water and energy effectiveness. The implementation of smart sensors and IoT-based monitoring for real-time monitoring of water quality is also presented. In addition, the design requirement and performance criteria for its application in domestic and industrial sectors are compared introducing the importance of factors such as scalability, low-cost, low energy consumption and compliance to international water safety standards. Case studies and systems’ comparisons are included for performance criteria, such as flow rate, contaminant removal efficiency, life cycle, and environmental impact. Of interest are not only the challenges on service and user accessibility, and material decay, but also the potential for sustainable deployment and design catered particularly for off-grid and emergency contexts. The results highlight the urgency of continued innovation and collaborative science in the development of next-generation personal water purification systems that are compatible with global health, environmental and economic priorities. The purpose of this review is to provide reference material for all stakeholders engaged in water purification technologies and their implementation.
Keywords: Safe drinking water, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, silver nanoparticles
[This article belongs to Trends in Mechanical Engineering & Technology ]
Ravikant Nanwatkar, Sahil Umbarkar, Sujal Thakur, Shrikant Raut. Comprehensive Analysis of Advanced Methods, Materials and Technologies for Portable Water Purifier in Domestic and Industrial Applications. Trends in Mechanical Engineering & Technology. 2025; 15(02):8-19.
Ravikant Nanwatkar, Sahil Umbarkar, Sujal Thakur, Shrikant Raut. Comprehensive Analysis of Advanced Methods, Materials and Technologies for Portable Water Purifier in Domestic and Industrial Applications. Trends in Mechanical Engineering & Technology. 2025; 15(02):8-19. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/tmet/article=2025/view=222257
References
- Abdiyev K, Azat S, Kuldeyev E, Ybyraiymkul D, Kabdrakhmanova S, Berndtsson R, Khalkhabai B, Kabdrakhmanova A, Sultakhan Review of Slow Sand Filtration for Raw Water Treatment with Potential Application in Less-Developed Countries. Water. 2023; 15: 2007. https://doi.org/
10.3390/w15112007. - Ravi Kant Upadhyay, Navneet Soin, Susanta Sinha Roy. Role of graphene/metal oxide composites as photocatalysts, adsorbents and disinfectants in water treatment: a review. RSC Adv. 2014; 4(8): 3823–3851. DOI:10.1039/C3RA45013A.
- Jasaswini Tripathy, Akanshya Mishra, Mayank Pandey, Thakur Rakesh R, Sasmita Chand, Rout Prangya R, Shahid Muhammad K. Advances in nanoparticles and nanocomposites for water and wastewater treatment: a review. 2024; 16(11): 1481. DOI:10.3390/w16111481.
- Sheng Liu, Zi‑Lin Su, Yi Liu, Lin‑Ya Yi, Zhan‑Li Chen, Zhen‑Zhong Liu. Mechanism and purification effect of photocatalytic wastewater treatment using graphene oxide‑doped titanium dioxide composite nanomaterials. 2021; 13(14): 1915. DOI:10.3390/w13141915.
- Yongchen Liu. Application of graphene oxide in water treatment. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci. 2017; 94(1): DOI:10.1088/1755-1315/94/1/012060.
- Ramesh Thiruvenkatachari, Saravanamuthu Vigneswaran, Shik Moon. A review on UV/TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation process. Korean J Chem Eng. 2008; 25(1): 64–72. DOI:10.1007/s11814-008-0011-8.
- Ganjar Fadillah, Saleh Tawfik A, Hanik Munawaroh, Sayekti Wahyuningsih, Ari Handono Ramelan. Flow photocatalysis system‑based functionalized graphene oxide‑ZnO nanoflowers for degradation of a natural humic acid. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2022; 29: 9883–9891. DOI:10.1007/s11356-021-16333-9.
- Penghui Shao, Jiayu Tian, Wenxin Shi, Shanshan Gao, Fuyi Cui. Eco‑friendly one‑pot synthesis of ultradispersed TiO2 nanocrystals/graphene nanocomposites with high photocatalytic activity for dye degradation. J Mater Chem 2015; 3(39): 19913–19919. DOI:10.1039/C5TA05378A.
- Rukia Fatima, Warsi Muhammad F, Sonia Zulfiqar, Ragab Sameh A, Imran Shakir, Sarwar Muhammad I. Nanocrystalline transition metal oxides and their composites with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes for photocatalytic applications. Ceram Int. 2020; 46(10): 16480–16492. DOI:10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.03.213.
- Jun Yin, Baolin Deng. Polymer‑matrix nanocomposite membranes for water treatment. J Membr Sci. 2015; 479: 256–275. DOI:10.1016/j.memsci.2015.01.068.
- Wei Lau, Sabrina Gray, Teow Chong Matsuura, Delfin Emadzadeh, Jin Perng Chen, Ismail Ahmad A. A review on polyamide thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes: history, applications, challenges and approaches. Water Res. 2015; 80: 306–324. DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2015.04.037.
- Das L, Das P, Bhowal A, Bhattachariee C. Synthesis of hybrid hydrogel nano‑polymer composite using graphene oxide, chitosan and PVA and its application in waste water treatment. Environ Technol Innov. 2020; 18: DOI:10.1016/j.eti.2020.100664.
- Kadhim RJ, Al‑Ani FH, Al‑Shaeli M, Alsalhy QF, Figoli A. Removal of dyes using graphene oxide (GO) mixed matrix membranes. 2020; 10(12): 366. DOI:10.3390/membranes10
120366. - Kurniawan TA, et al. Functionalizing TiO2 with graphene oxide for enhancing photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in contaminated wastewater. J Environ Manag. 2020; 270: DOI:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110871.
- Mao M, Boopathi S, Thiruppathi AR, Wood PC, Chen A. Efficient dye removal and separation based on graphene oxide nanomaterials. New J Chem. 2020; 44(11): 4519–4528. DOI:10.1039/
- Zhu M, Kurniawan TA, Song F, Ouyang T, Othman MHD, Rezakazemi M, Shirazian S. Applicability of BaTiO3/graphene oxide composite for enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue in synthetic wastewater under UV–vis irradiation. Environ Pollut. 2019; 255: DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113182.
- Menachem Elimelech, Brady‑Estévez Anna S, Seoktae Kang. A single‑walled‑carbon‑nanotube filter for removal of viral and bacterial pathogens. 2008; 4(3): 481–484. DOI:10.1002/smll.
200700620. - François Perreault, de Faria Andreia F, Siamak Nejati, Menachem Elimelech. Antimicrobial properties of graphene oxide nanosheets: why size matters. ACS Nano. 2015; 9(7): 7226–7236. DOI:10.1021/acsnano.5b03009.
- Peng Zhang, Yawen Tong, Yong Liu, Vequizo Junie JM, Hongwei Sun. Heteroatom dopants promote two‑electron reduction for photocatalytic production of H2O2 on polymeric carbon nitride. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2020, 59(37): 15596–15601. DOI:10.1002/anie.202005199.
- Mohammed Nazim, Aftab Aslam Parwaz Khan, Asiri Abdullah M, Jae Hyun Kim. Exploring rapid photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants with porous CuO nanosheets: synthesis, dye removal, and kinetic studies at room temperature. ACS Omega. 2021; 6(5): 3487–3496. DOI:10.1021/acsomega.0c05920.
- Tae‑Moon Tak, Tae‑Hyun Bae. Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on fouling mitigation of ultrafiltration membranes for activated sludge filtration. J Membr Sci. 2005; 256(1‑2): 24–35. DOI:10.1016/j.
2005.03.022. - Erika Nascimbén Santos, Zsuzsanna László, Cecilia Hodúr, Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran, Gábor Veréb. Photocatalytic membrane filtration and its advantages over conventional approaches in the treatment of oily wastewater: a review. Asia‑Pac J Chem Eng. 2020, 15(5): DOI:10.1002/
apj.2467. - Coelho François B, Candelario Victor M, Araújo Estêvão MR, Miranda Tânia LS, Giuliana Magnacca. Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in the presence of humic acid using immobilized Ce–ZrO2 under visible light. 2020; 10(4): 726. DOI:10.3390/nano10040726.
- Hai HTN, Nguyen TT, Nishibori M, Ishihara T, Edalati K. Photoreforming of plastic waste into valuable products and hydrogen using a high‑entropy oxynitride with distorted atomic‑scale structure. Appl Catal 2025; 314: 121731. DOI:10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.121731.
- Rouzafzay F, Shidpour R. Graphene@ZnO nanocompound for short‑time water treatment under sun‑simulated irradiation: effect of shear exfoliation of graphene using kitchen blender on photocatalytic degradation. J Alloys Compd. 2024; 798: 165–174. DOI:10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.
- Wellia Diana V, Syuadi Atika F, Rahma Resha M, Atika Syafawi, Rafli Habibillah M. Rind of Aloe vera extract for synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: properties and application in model dye pollutant degradation. Case Stud Chem Environ Eng. 2024; 9: DOI:10.1016/j.cscee.
2024.100358.

Trends in Mechanical Engineering & Technology
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 02 |
| Received | 04/06/2025 |
| Accepted | 20/06/2025 |
| Published | 02/07/2025 |
| Publication Time | 28 Days |
Login
PlumX Metrics