**4. Clay minerals AS potential application IN water purification**

The assessment of water quality using the Water Quality Index (WOI) and every available means are being developed and used by researchers [30] and [31] applied the WOI assessment to the evaluation and validity of a river region with a single number that checked the multiple drinking water criteria The findings were able to certify whether the water was safe to drink or not, based on the set of criteria. Before being deemed safe for use, drinking water and water used for other purposes must be free of these toxins in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle free of illnesses linked to waterborne diseases [32]. Filtration, which is a typical procedure used in water purification, is one approach to remove harmful toxins. It entails the use of a medium, such as a membrane or aggregates, as well as the use of a membrane or aggregates. While adsorbing and absorbing pollutants on the media, filtration employs both physical and chemical processes. Ceramic (clay) membranes for point-of-use filtration, cloth or fiber membranes, compressed granular activated carbon (GAC), polymer membranes, sand, gravel, or crushed rock, and clay aggregates are only a few examples of filtration medium. Artifacts, medications, construction materials, electrochemical research, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, earthen products, and agriculture are just a few of the economic benefits of clay [33], clay has played a vital role in water purification technology. Clay ceramic water filters have shown capabilities in removing water contaminants such as microbes [34], chemicals [18] and heavy metals. Ceramic water filters made from clay and clay minerals are very efficient for water filtration through adsorption/absorption, molecular sieving and ion exchange mechanisms [35]. Clay is also affordable, plentiful, ubiquitous, and easily accessible. User friendliness, cultural tolerance, and cheap maintenance costs are further factors to consider. Many scientific and technological advancements have been attributed to the characterization of materials in order to establish their important features for optimal use and application. Clay and clay minerals' suitability for use in water filtration media and other industrial applications is determined by their mineralogy, chemical composition, mechanical properties (such as plasticity), specific surface area, porosity, functionality, and structure, as well as their interactive behavior.
