The Challenge of Water Pollution:

In the new global economy, pollution has become a major concern for industries, organizations, countries and the world at large. According to the World Bank, pollution is the leading environmental cause of disease and premature death ​(Pollution, n.d.). Water pollution, particularly the alarming rate of dye contamination, is a critical concern due to its detrimental effects on both aquatic ecosystems and human health. Synthetic dyes, like methylene blue, used in various industries can render wastewater toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic, disrupting the delicate balance of freshwater and impacting its vital functions like oxygen availability (Al-Tohamy et al., 2022; Ismail et al., 2019; Kishor et al., 2021).

Sustainable Solutions: Banana Biofilters for Wastewater Treatment

Addressing water pollution demands sustainable solutions that minimize environmental impact. Biofilters, which utilize natural materials to adsorb and degrade pollutants, offer a promising approach. Among these, banana biofilters have emerged due to their unique properties:

• High surface area and porous structure: This allows for efficient adsorption of pollutants.
• Presence of functional groups or bioactive compounds: These have the capacity to degrade organic pollutants.

Banana biofilters can be designed to integrate with various filtration methods such as membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, or ultrafiltration, further enhancing treatment efficiency.

Sustainability and Community Empowerment:

The use of banana biofilters aligns with the principles of sustainable development. They are:

• Readily available and renewable: Banana plants are a readily available resource in many regions, promoting a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
• Biodegradable: This minimizes environmental impact compared to non-degradable alternatives.
• Effective in pollutant removal: Banana biofilters offer promising results in removing harmful contaminants.
• Community-driven: Local communities can be trained on biofilter construction, operation, and maintenance, fostering ownership and creating green jobs.

By implementing banana biofilters, communities can contribute directly to a cleaner environment, protecting water resources, and enabling sustainable development for future generations.

Author(s): Yeboah Luckman Aborah

Acknowledgement: Antwi Albert, Macleana Oteng, Ezekiel Mensah