Critical Issue Silica in Water for Industries and an Evolving Perception on the Silica Mitigation Techniques

Abstract Silica is dissolved from sands, rocks and minerals by water flowing through or over the Earth, which is one of the pollutants water gathers. Although there are no known health risks associated with drinking water silica exposure, silica in water plays crucial role and can pose serious issues for industries, particularly in boiler and steam application systems. However, removing silica from water has always been a huge challenge due to its polymeric and colloidal state. There have been many technologies proposed for removing silica from water; however, as remediation methods change daily, it is important to find strategies that work well at a reasonable cost. This study, which must be essential for students, engineers, businesspeople, scientists, and policy makers, has a primary focus on removal solutions of silica from water and has chronologically examined the causes of silica contamination, various forms of silica, characterization of silica, the effects of various types of silica in water.