Environmental impact of seawater desalination plants

1991 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim S. Al-Mutaz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Seawater Desalination ◽  
Desalination Plants

scholarly journals Assessment of the Requirements within the Environmental Monitoring Plans Used to Evaluate the Environmental Impacts of Desalination Plants in Chile

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sola ◽  
Sánchez-Lizaso ◽  
Muñoz ◽  
García-Bartolomei ◽  
Sáez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Monitoring ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Seawater Desalination ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Desalination Plants ◽  
Operation Phase

Seawater desalination represents an alternative solution to face the challenge of water scarcity in Chile. However, the uncertainty toward potential environmental impacts of desalination plants represent a barrier to achieving water sustainability and socioeconomic development in Chile. This study aimed to assess the quality of environmental monitoring plans (EMP) and determine the aspects to be improved within it, in order to enhance the management of desalination plants during the operation phase and guarantee a sustainable development of the activity. The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Impact Studies for seawater desalination projects published in the Environmental Impact Evaluation System (SEIA) in Chile between 1997 and 2018 were reviewed. The results of the brine production from desalination plants showed a significant increase in the last decade (about 1.6 Mm3 per year estimated according to the projects approved or under implementation). The EMPs data show heterogeneity and increasing requirements over time, which can be attributed to the governmental effort to improve environmental protection. Furthermore, a high frequency of irrelevant descriptors was identified in the current EMPs. The study thus recommended standardizing the environmental requirements included in EMPs based on empiric scientific knowledge to enhance the environmental protection programs in Chile.

Hygienic Aspects of the Use of Desalinated Sea Water for Drinking and Household Purposes: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
OO Sinitsyna ◽  
VV Turbinsky ◽  
TM Ryashentseva ◽  
EP Lavrik
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Additional Treatment ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Seawater Desalination ◽  
Preliminary Preparation ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Desalination Plants

Background. Uneven distribution of fresh water sources on the land surface encourages a search for effective techniques of potable water preparation by desalination of seawater. Hygienic issues of such desalination methods as distillation, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, and ion exchange have been investigated by now and appropriate limitations, requirements, and additional measures to ensure safety of desalinated drinking water have been established. Objective. To summarize and systematize the results of studying characteristics of various methods of seawater desalination for its further use for drinking and household purposes. Materials and methods. We conducted a systematic review of studies published in Russian and in English, found in the PubMed and Web of Science databases, and selected 40 literary sources containing an empirical assessment of effectiveness of seawater desalination and preparation of drinking water. We also scrutinized regulatory documents and guidelines of domestic sanitary legislation. The research results were systematized by the main desalination methods. Results and discussion. We established that the use of seawater for the preparation of fresh water for drinking and household purposes is becoming increasingly widespread around the world. Drinking water obtained from seawater, in all cases, requires additional treatment and measures to optimize its mineral composition and protect against microorganisms. Conclusion. The main challenges of ensuring sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of the population when using desalinated seawater for drinking and household purposes include selection of a source, arrangement of sites of water intake properly protected from natural and man-made pollution, substantiation of techniques and modes of preliminary preparation of source seawater adequate to its composition, basic desalination, ensuring safety of products of destruction and migration of toxic substances from reagents and materials of desalination plants, additional conditioning with the necessary elements and disinfection of the prepared water, as well as environmental protection from desalination waste.

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