Desalination Engineering: Environmental Impacts of the Brine Disposal and Their Control

摘要

Freshwater supplies remain more and more in lack corresponding to the increased demand for several human activities. Such difficult circumstances make desalination of saline water an obligation. Desalination to take out water from saline water has been proved as a safe non-traditional water supply. Nevertheless, like any human-founded method, desalination has conducted to several influences on nature. Charged with chemical products, brine is discharged back to nature. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions are liberated to the atmosphere. Brine and GHGs are the most important effects that have been broadly investigated with some attempts accorded to their mitigation and control strategies (M&CSs). This review examines the M&CSs related to the several environmental impacts (EIs) of desalination engineering and focuses on brine disposal. Numerous EIs could be avoided, or at least reduced, by integrating specific design standards and ameliorating applied technologies. The feedwater source possesses a considerable influence on EIs. At the identical degree, desalination engineering possesses an important impact on the EIs linked to brine features and energy consumption. Fresh desalination techniques have depicted decreased EIs relative to traditional thermal and membrane desalination methods. Further, employing renewable and waste energy sources has illustrated a considerable decrease in EIs related to energy consumption.