Construction of a parabolic trough concentrator for solar water disinfection

Abstract

In the context of the current global environmental situation, one of the most relevant problems is undoubtedly that of water, not only because of the strong inequalities imposed by its geographical distribution, both in time and space, but also because of the economic and political decisions that determine our social relationship with this vital liquid (Peña, 2007). One of the biggest problems in the world today is the lack of access to fresh and drinking water. Add to this the problem of water pollution, and the picture gets worse. Pollution is caused by discharged waste, fertilisers, pesticides or chemicals that flow into fresh water and end up polluting salt water as well. In this regard, more than 1 billion people will suffer from water scarcity in the future due to pollution, overpopulation and climate change, which affect the sources of this essential resource (UN, 2020).