Through agriculture, but we are also trying to replace them with synthetic materials
What does it mean by sustainability?
using natural materials in a way that does not compromise future generation ability to do the same
What is potable water?
Water that is safe to drink
How do we obtain potable water?
Via taking it from a freshwater source (e.g a river) which is then filtered to remove large insoluble particles, then sterilised using chlorine, ozone or UV
What are other ways of obtaining potable water?
Desalination: removal of salt by distillation
Reverse osmosis
Disadvantage: requires a lot of energy
How is waste water treated?
Waste first goes to screening/grit removal then sedimentation to allow little particles out of water. Liquid effluent requires aerobic treatment whereas sludge requires anaerobic
How can metals be obtained?
From ores, which the pure metal is then obtained by electrolysis or displacement reaction
Phytomining: plants absorb metal ions into their roots, which are then burned to obtain the metal from the ash
Bioleaching: baterial produces leachate solutions that contain metal ions that can be extracted
