The footprint of the desalination processes on the environment

Einav, Rachel; Harussi, Kobi; Perry, D.M.

doi:10.1016/s0011-9164(02)01057-3

Cited by 233 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Currently, the Reverse Osmosis (RO) method is the preferred desalination process mainly due to the low energy and space consumption and the reduction in the cost of the potable water obtained (Morton, Callister and Wade, 1996;Einav, Harussi and Perry, 2002;Purnama, Al-Barwani and Al-Lawatia, 2003). But this activity may cause some environmental impacts, mainly generated by the discharge into the sea of the concentrate (brine) produced (44-90 psu), and of chemicals (antiscalant, antifouling, hydrochloric acid, ferric chloride, sodium hexametaphosphate, etc.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the brine is discharged into the sea, the density difference between brine and seawater will induce the formation of a stratified system, with brine forming a bottom layer that can affect the benthic communities that usually live in stable salinity environments (Del Bene, Jirka and Largier, 1994;Gacia and Ballesteros, 2001). The magnitude of this impact will depend on the characteristics of the desalination plant and its reject brine, not only the location and the area of influence of the discharge, but also on the nature and tolerance of the marine communities affected by this discharge (Ahmed et al, 2000;Einav, Harussi and Perry, 2002;Lattemann and Höpner, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the discharge of brine into the sea requires particular attention and scientific assessment of possible impacts on the marine environment. These potential impacts may be minimised by selecting an appropriate discharge location or with previous dilution of the effluent, and also by establishing a carefully designed monitoring programme in order to assess the brine plume distribution over time and taking appropriate measurements when necessary (Höpner, 1999;Einav, Harussi and Perry, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring of brine discharges from seawater desalination plants in the Mediterranean

Fernández‐Torquemada

Sánchez-Lizaso

2007

IJENVH

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Desalination of seawater has become an important and growing industry due to the water shortage in some Mediterranean countries. This activity may result in environmental impacts, mainly generated by the discharge into the sea of the concentrate (brine) produced. Data regarding the dispersion of these hypersaline effluents, and about their effects in the marine ecosystem, are very scarce. The objective of this paper is to present some strategies for the monitoring, in time and space, of the brine discharge, and to describe the marine organisms selected as bioindicators for these studies (seagrasses and echinoderms), due to their relevance and high sensitivity to salinity changes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring of brine discharges from seawater desalination plants in the Mediterranean

Fernández‐Torquemada

Sánchez-Lizaso

2007

IJENVH

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“…However, removing dissolved solids (salts) from saline water requires significantly more energy than is required for treating conventional surface water or groundwater sources (see [2,3] and the sources cited therein for representative comparisons). There are other concerns, such as additional cost over conventional water supplies [4,5] and environmental impacts of concentrated salt and waste chemical disposal [6][7][8]. Despite these concerns, worldwide desalination capacity continues to rise [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting the Specific Energy Consumption of Reverse Osmosis Desalination

Stillwell

Webber

2016

Water

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Desalination is often considered an approach for mitigating water stress. Despite the abundance of saline water worldwide, additional energy consumption and increased costs present barriers to widespread deployment of desalination as a municipal water supply. Specific energy consumption (SEC) is a common measure of the energy use in desalination processes, and depends on many operational and water quality factors. We completed multiple linear regression and relative importance statistical analyses of factors affecting SEC using both small-scale meta-data and municipal-scale empirical data to predict the energy consumption of desalination. Statistically significant results show water quality and initial year of operations to be significant and important factors in estimating SEC, explaining over 80% of the variation in SEC. More recent initial year of operations, lower salinity raw water, and higher salinity product water accurately predict lower values of SEC. Economic analysis revealed a weak statistical relationship between SEC and cost of water production. Analysis of associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions revealed important considerations of both electricity source and SEC in estimating the GHG-related sustainability of desalination. Results of our statistical analyses can aid decision-makers by predicting the SEC of desalination to a reasonable degree of accuracy with limited data.

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“…Brine effluents have a strong negative impact on the environment due to their high concentration of salts and other pollutant contents [1][2][3][4][5]. The types of pollutants vary depending on the source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brine Effluents: Characteristics, Environmental Impacts, and Their Handling

Ariono

Purwasasmita

Wenten

2016

J. Eng. Technol. Sci.

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Abstract. Brine discharge is one of the largest sources of wastewater from industrial processes. Because of the environmental impacts arising from improper treatment of brine discharge and more rigorous regulations of pollution control, industries have started to focus on waste minimization and improving the process of wastewater treatment. Several approaches have been proposed to provide a strategy for brine handling by recovering both brine and water or to remove pollutant components so it complies with environmental regulations when discharged. One of the most promising alternatives to brine disposal is reusing the brine, which results in reduction of pollution, minimizing waste volume and salt recovery. The brine may also contain valuable components that could be recovered for profitable use. Also, water recovery from brine effluent is generally performed to save water. In the case of rejected brine from desalination plants, water recovery from higher brine concentrations has huge potential for salt production. This paper gives an overview of different types of brine effluents, their sources and characteristics. Also discussed are impacts of brine on the environment and management options related to their characteristics.

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The footprint of the desalination processes on the environment

Cited by 233 publications

References 9 publications

Monitoring of brine discharges from seawater desalination plants in the Mediterranean

Monitoring of brine discharges from seawater desalination plants in the Mediterranean

Predicting the Specific Energy Consumption of Reverse Osmosis Desalination

Brine Effluents: Characteristics, Environmental Impacts, and Their Handling

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