ABSTRACT
For a very long time, magnetic fields (MF) have been used to enhance the efficiency to treat wastewater and have proved to be a reliable, affordable, and easy-to-use technology. Earlier works on wastewater treatment have revealed the effect of magnetic fields in wastewater treatment, still the underlying physics have been a topic of research interest due to the complexity involved in the process. There are three types of water: natural, household, and industrial handling of sewage. Water management systems can be classified based on the source of the water. In process industries frequent losses due to scaling greatly results in technical and economic losses. Conventional methods for treating scales are costly and have negative impact on health and environment. The use of scale inhibitors, anti-scalants, and other chemically linked processes can be avoided or reduced by using non-chemical water treatment technologies like electromagnetic field (EMF). Electromagnetic fields have also seen an increased use in a variety of sectors, including healing and diagnostic medicine, environmental management, and industrial processes. Although EMF has been demonstrated to have positive effects on scale control, the scientific basis for its claimed effectiveness is unclear in the literature. This is due to the fact that EMF technologies have not been subjected to quantitative evaluation or systematic investigations. The processes of MF-enhanced wastewater treatment (WWT) are critically outlined in this chapter, which concentrates on the viewpoint of magnetic physicochemical and biological impacts, such as magnetoresistance, Lorentz force, and intracellular radical pair mechanism. Finally, the chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using EMFs in WWT are examined. To get over the restrictions and utilize EMFs in WWT, fundamental research into the mechanics of EMF application needs to be carried out in the future.
