Brazil develops mobile unit to remove microplastics from water using nuclear technology

Other BRICS and partner countries are also implementing water purification technologies to address environmental challenges.

Scientists from Russia and the UAE have developed a new material for purifying water using sunlight. The newly created lithium niobate-based nanocatalyst helps break down organic pollutants such as dyes, medicines, pesticides and petroleum products. In future, it is planned to use it in wastewater treatment systems, where, under the influence of sunlight, it will accelerate the breakdown of harmful substances. During tests, the technology purified a contaminated solution by 90 per cent in just 150 minutes, according to the website of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

China is actively developing the reuse of treated wastewater. In 2025, the country’s cities used over 22 billion cubic metres of such water, making it a stable second source of water supply. To achieve this, the authorities are expanding water treatment infrastructure, reducing leaks in water supply networks and developing the concept of sponge cities capable of storing rainwater – which is absorbed into the ground rather than flowing into the drains. This replenishes groundwater reserves and reduces the risk of flooding. More than 10,000 sponge city projects have already been implemented in the country, and programmes to control leaks in water pipes have been launched in 50 major cities, reports China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

Belarusian scientists are developing membrane water treatment systems – special filters that trap harmful substances, such as dyes from industrial effluent. These technologies have already been tested at water utilities and industrial plants and enable heavily polluted wastewater to be treated to acceptable standards. In addition to the possibility of returning water to the usage cycle, certain pollutants, such as dyes that have settled on the membranes, can be utilised in the recirculation process. Industrial units for large enterprises have also been developed, reports BelTA, a partner of TV BRICS, citing researchers from the Institute of Physical and Organic Chemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.