Water is the basis of life and the most important element in all biological, industrial and agricultural processes. With the increasing global demand for fresh water and the decline of natural resources, it has become essential to develop alternative technologies for water treatment and to improve its physical and chemical properties. One of the techniques that has attracted increasing interest in recent decades is the treatment of water with a magnetic field. It is believed to be capable of modifying the molecular structure of water, which is reflected in its physical properties such as viscosity, surface tension and solubility, as well as in the ionic behavior of dissolved salts. Studies indicate that magnetically treated water can have improved agricultural properties, such as increased seed germination rates, enhanced plant growth and improved nutrient uptake. It also contributes to reducing soil salinity by dissolving salts and moving them away from the root zone [1].

In the industrial sector, magnetic water is used in cooling and heating systems to prevent the deposition of calcium carbonate, which reduces scaling problems and extends equipment life. In the food and pharmaceutical industries, it may help improve mixing and dissolution processes due to lower surface tension and viscosity. From a scientific perspective, it is believed that exposure of water to a magnetic field alters hydrogen bonding between molecules, forming smaller and more stable clusters. These changes may enhance solubility of certain substances, reduce salt precipitation and increase oxygen solubility, which promotes biological reactions [2]. However, the results of previous studies remain inconsistent, highlighting the need for more precise scientific experiments to understand the true effects of magnetization on water. From an environmental perspective, magnetic water treatment is considered a “green” technology since it does not require additional chemicals and produces no harmful byproducts. It also saves energy compared to household Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems, which require high energy consumption and periodic filter replacement, resulting in additional solid waste. Thus, the magnetization device directly contributes to reducing carbon emissions, making it aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and Goal 13 (Climate Action) [3]. Water is one of the most vital natural resources indispensable for life on Earth. It participates in all biological processes that sustain living organisms and is also a key component of agricultural, industrial and service activities. With the continuous increase in global population and the expansion of industrial and agricultural activity, the need for high-quality fresh water has risen. However, this increase is accompanied by serious challenges such as water scarcity and contamination with chemical and organic pollutants, which calls for the development of alternative technologies for water treatment and property improvement to ensure its sustainable use. Among the modern technologies that have gained considerable attention in recent decades is the treatment of water with magnetic fields [4]. This technique relies on exposing water to an external magnetic field that causes subtle changes in the molecular structure of water, particularly in hydrogen bonds between molecules. Previous studies have shown that these changes may reduce the size of water clusters and increase their stability, which in turn affects the physical and chemical properties of water such as viscosity, surface tension, solubility and electrical conductivity.

Physical and Chemical Effects of Magnetization

Research indicates that exposing water to a magnetic field can lead to a reduction in surface tension, facilitating its spreading on surfaces and increasing its wetting capacity [5]. It has also been observed that viscosity decreases, making water flow easier, which is important in industrial and agricultural systems. Likewise, the decrease in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) after magnetization suggests a redistribution of ions and a reduction in their free mobility in the aqueous medium. These changes make water more effective in applications such as irrigation and scaling prevention in pipelines.

Agricultural Applications of Magnetic Water

Several studies have shown that using magnetic water in agriculture contributes to increased seed germination rates, enhanced plant growth and higher crop productivity. It also helps reduce soil salinity by dissolving salts and moving them away from the root zone [6,22]. Hence, magnetic water is an effective solution in arid and semi-arid environments, where water scarcity and high salinity represent major challenges to sustainable agriculture.

Industrial Applications

In industry, magnetic water is widely used in cooling and heating systems to reduce salt deposition, such as calcium carbonate, thereby reducing scaling problems and prolonging the life of equipment and pipelines [7,21]. In food and pharmaceutical industries, reduced surface tension and viscosity may improve dissolution and mixing processes, increasing production line efficiency (Table 1).

Table 1: Carbon Footprint Calculation (Compared to a Household Purification Unit)

Research Gap and Significance of the Study

Although there are many studies on the effects of magnetic fields on water, results remain inconsistent. Some researchers consider the effects temporary or limited, while others confirm significant changes in physical and chemical properties. Therefore, the importance of this study lies in its comprehensive measurements of multiple properties (pH, EC, TDS, density, viscosity, surface tension, ion concentrations, contact angle, capillarity and evaporation rate), along with a full carbon footprint analysis, to provide an integrated scientific and environmental evaluation of the effectiveness and feasibility of water magnetization.

Based on this, the present research aims to study the effect of magnetization on a set of physical and chemical properties of water (pH, EC, TDS, density, viscosity, surface tension, ion concentrations), in addition to other properties such as contact angle, capillarity and evaporation rate. The study also compares the carbon footprint of the magnetization device with that of a household RO unit [8,20], to evaluate its feasibility as an environmentally friendly and sustainable option for water treatment.

Experimental Work

Design of the magnetization device (as shown in Figure 1):

• Main Pipe (PVC): About 40–60 cm long, with an inner diameter of 10–12 mm, connected to the tap water faucet

• Internal Helical Coil: A plastic/Teflon strip 8–10 mm wide and 1–2 mm thick, wound inside the pipe with a pitch ≈ 2–3 times the inner diameter to create a swirling flow and increase residence time

• Permanent Magnets (8 units): Neodymium N52 magnets, rectangular or cubic, distributed around the pipe to generate a transverse magnetic field on the water stream

• Pole Arrangement: Alternating N–S–N–S… around the circumference

• Clamp at the Pipe Outlet: A detachable clamp at the outlet serves to reduce turbidity. It is a short fitting (2–3 cm) with the same diameter as the outlet, holding a fine filter mesh (5-10 µm) made of polyester/nylon, replaceable and fixed with a hose clamp

Physicochemical Tests

Measurement of Physical Properties

• pH, EC, TDS: Measured using a multiparameter meter (pH/EC/TDS meter) after calibration with standard solutions

• Density: Determined using a pycnometer at room temperature

• Viscosity: Measured with an Ostwald viscometer

• Surface Tension: Determined by the Du Noüy ring method using a tensiometer

• Capillarity Test: Glass capillary tubes with an inner radius of 0.25 mm were placed in water containers. The rise of the water column in each tube was recorded using a digital micrometer and the mean of three readings was taken [9]

Contact Angle Measurement

Drops of 5 µL water were placed on a clean glass surface. Images were captured with a high-resolution camera and the contact angle on both sides of the drop was analyzed using ImageJ software to obtain the mean angle [10,19].

Evaporation Rate

About 10 mL of the sample was placed in open Petri dishes. The dishes were weighed with a precision  balance every 30 minutes for 2 hours at 20°C. The difference between initial and final mass was calculated to determine the evaporation rate [11,23].

Figure 1: Schematic of the Water Magnetization System

Measurement of Chemical Properties

Concentrations of cations and anions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻): Ion Chromatography (IC) was used [12,18]. Samples were filtered through 0.45 µm filter paper before injection into the instrument to obtain ion concentrations in mg/L.

Annual Calculation:

• Magnetization Device: 0.12 kWh × 365 × 0.5 kg CO₂/kWh = 21.9 kg CO₂/year

• Purification Device: 0.24 kWh × 365 × 0.5 = 43.8 kg CO₂/year + 5 kg CO₂/filter = 48.8 kg CO₂/year

Statistical Analysis: Statistical Analysis of all Measured Properties before and after Magnetization (Table 2).

Table 2: Statistical Analysis of all Measured Properties before and after Magnetization

Physical Properties

Measured Parameters: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), density, viscosity and surface tension (Table 3 and Figure 2).

Figure 2: Show pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Density, Viscosity and Surface Tension after and before Magnetization

Table 3:  Represent pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Density, Viscosity and Surface Tension

Capillarity Test

Capillary rise was measured in glass tubes of radius 0.25 mm. The mean height of the water column was compared before and after magnetization (Table 4 and Figure 3).

Figure 3: Show Capillarity Test before and after Magnets

Table 4: Represent Capillarity Test

Contact Angle Measurement

Contact angle of 5 µL drops on glass slides was measured with ImageJ software (Table 5 and Figure 4).

Table 5: Represent Contact Angle Measurement

Figure 4: Show Contact Angle Measurement before and after Magnets

Figure 5: Show the Relation between Mass and Time

Evaporation Rate

Evaporation was monitored by weighing Petri dishes containing 10.00 mL of water over 120 minutes at 20°C (Table 6).

Table 6: Represent Evaporation Rate

Chemical Properties (Ion Concentrations)

Ion concentrations measured by Ion Chromatography (IC). Values are expressed in mg/L (Table 7 and Figure 6).

Figure 6: Represent Ion Concentrations before and after Magnets

Table 7: Represent Ion Concentrations before and after Magnets

Physical Properties

• pH: (slightly increased) (from 7.25→7.38), meaning that the water became slightly more basic, which may indicate a change in the distribution of ions and hydrogen after exposure to the magnetic field

• Electrical Conductivity (EC): Decreased (from 780→748 µS/cm), reflecting a reduction in the concentration of free ions in the solution due to their rearrangement or the formation of smaller water clusters [13]

• TDS: Decreased (520→500 mg/L), which corresponds to the reduction in conductivity and means that the total solubility of salts was affected by magnetization

• Density: Slightly decreased (0.9982→0.9977 g/cm³), which may be related to changes in the microstructure of water molecules [14].

• Viscosity: Decreased (0.89→0.85 mPa·s), meaning that the flow of water became easier after magnetization

Surface Tension

Decreased (71.8→69.2 mN/m), meaning that the water became more capable of wetting and spreading on surfaces.

Result: Magnetization clearly affected the physical properties and led to a reduction in the cohesive forces between water molecules.

Capillarity Test

The height of the water column decreased (from 5.326→5.137 cm) after magnetization. The decrease indicates that surface tension forces became weaker, which agrees with the directly measured decrease in surface tension.

Result: Magnetized water has less ability to rise in capillary tubes [15].

Contact Angle

Decreased from 25.0° → 22.8°. This means that the water became more capable of spreading on surfaces (improvement of wetting property) [16].
 

Result: Magnetization improved the ability of water to wet glass surfaces.

Evaporation Rate

Mass loss increased: after 120 minutes, the water before magnetization lost 0.60 g, while after magnetization it lost 0.72 g. This means that magnetized water evaporates faster, perhaps due to the reduction in cohesive forces between molecules [17].

Result: Magnetization made water slightly more volatile.

Ion Concentrations

All major ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻) slightly decreased after magnetization.
 

For example: Calcium decreased from 98.2→94.2 mg/L and magnesium from 42.5→40.6 mg/L. This indicates that the ions became less free in the solution and perhaps entered into complex structures or their distribution in water changed.

Result: There is an overall decrease in dissolved ion concentrations, which is consistent with the decrease in electrical conductivity.

Carbon Footprint Calculation

The magnetization device has about half the carbon footprint of a household purification device. This is according to the given data and calculated figures.

The results showed that magnetization significantly affects the physical and chemical properties of water, where a slight increase in pH value and a decrease in Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) were observed, indicating the rearrangement of ions and the reduction of their free mobility in the aqueous medium.

Measurements recorded a decrease in density, viscosity and surface tension, which reflects the weakening of attractive forces between water molecules after exposure to the magnetic field.

Capillarity and contact angle tests showed that magnetized water has a greater ability to spread and wet compared to untreated water, which enhances its usability in agricultural and industrial applications that require faster surface wetting.

The evaporation rate increased significantly after magnetization, which can be linked to the decrease in surface tension and the facilitation of molecules escaping into the gaseous phase.

The changes in dissolved ion concentrations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻) were all in the decreasing direction, confirming that the magnetic field contributed to reducing the overall salt solubility.

From the environmental perspective, the carbon footprint calculation showed that the magnetization device is characterized by very low carbon emissions compared to the household Purification Device (RO), with emissions being about 57 times lower, making it a more sustainable and eco-friendly option.

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