Which of the following technologies is commonly used specifically for the treatment of water pollution by removing dissolved impurities?

Introduction / Context:
Environmental science questions often ask you to match different pollution control technologies to the type of pollution they treat, such as air, water, or solid waste. This question focuses on water pollution and asks which listed technology is used specifically for treating water by removing dissolved impurities. Recognising the correct method is essential for understanding how industries and municipalities purify drinking water and treat wastewater before discharge.

Given Data / Assumptions:
– The focus is on technologies related to pollution control and waste management.
– Options include Windrow composting, Reverse osmosis, Bag house filter, and Venturi scrubber.
– We assume standard textbook definitions where some technologies are used mainly for air pollution and solid waste, and others for water purification.
– The target is the method that is well known for removing dissolved salts and contaminants from water.

Concept / Approach:
Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process in which water is forced through a semipermeable membrane under pressure. The membrane allows water molecules to pass while blocking many dissolved salts, organic molecules, and other impurities. This makes reverse osmosis a key technology for desalination, drinking water purification, and treatment of industrial effluents. Windrow composting is a method for managing solid organic waste by aerobic decomposition, not for treating water directly. A bag house filter is used to control particulate emissions in flue gases from industrial sources, so it is mainly an air pollution control device. A Venturi scrubber is also an air pollution control technology that removes particles and gases from industrial exhaust using a high velocity liquid spray. Among the given options, only reverse osmosis is primarily associated with water pollution control and water purification.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that reverse osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane to remove dissolved impurities from water, making it a water treatment method. Step 2: Note that windrow composting is used for solid waste management, especially for organic agricultural and municipal waste, not for cleaning water. Step 3: Remember that bag house filters and Venturi scrubbers are both related to air pollution control and industrial gas cleaning. Step 4: Conclude that reverse osmosis is the only option that directly describes a common water pollution treatment technology.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking environmental engineering or science textbooks, which usually include a section on water treatment and list reverse osmosis along with filtration, sedimentation, and chlorination. These sources describe reverse osmosis as an advanced technology for desalination and removal of dissolved contaminants. By contrast, solid waste management chapters discuss composting methods, and air pollution control chapters describe devices like bag filters and Venturi scrubbers. This distribution across topics confirms that reverse osmosis is the correct answer for water pollution treatment.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Windrow composting: This is a method of aerobic decomposition of organic solid waste in long heaps or windrows; it treats solid waste, not water pollution.
Bag house filter: This device uses fabric filter bags to trap dust particles from industrial flue gases, so it controls air pollution rather than purifying water.
Venturi scrubber: This equipment removes particles and some gases from exhaust streams using a constricted section and liquid spray, again focusing on air pollution control, not on treatment of dissolved substances in water.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes see the word filter or scrubber and assume that any such device must work for water. Another issue is confusing solid waste composting with general environmental cleanup and thinking that it applies to all pollution types. To avoid these errors, it helps to link each technology mentally to its main medium: reverse osmosis to water, bag house filter and Venturi scrubber to air, and windrow composting to solid waste. Building these clear associations makes these classification questions much easier to answer correctly.

Final Answer:
The technology that is specifically used for treating water pollution by removing dissolved impurities is Reverse osmosis.