Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
Chemical and Water Desalination Engineering (CWDE) Program, College of Engineering, University of Sharjah, PO Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 1;780:146585. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146585. Epub 2021 Mar 19.
The desalination of seawater is perceived as one of the most viable processes to fulfill the mounting demand for freshwater. Despite enormous economic, social, and health benefits offered by desalination, there are several concerns regarding its prospective environmental impacts (EIs). The objective of this work is to critically evaluate the potential EIs of seawater desalination, and assess the prospects of greener desalination. The EIs of desalination on marine environment, land, groundwater, and air quality was systematically reviewed. An attempt has been made to analyze the actuality of these so-called impacts with reference to evidence from real desalination plants. The mitigative measures to counterbalance these unfavorable impacts are critically appraised. Furthermore, the brine management technologies for the disposal of reject stream, the recovery of precious materials and water, and the production of useful chemicals are also reviewed. Current challenges to minimize the adverse impacts of desalination and prospects of sustainable greener desalination to overwhelm global water scarcities are also discussed. The current desalination approaches have moderate and minor negative EIs. However, with proper mitigation and utilization of modern technologies, these impacts can be lessened. Furthermore, by employing various modern techniques, reject brine can be utilized for several useful applications while reducing its adverse impacts simultaneously. Recent advancements in desalination technologies have also offered many alternative approaches that provide a roadmap towards greener desalination. This review article will be beneficial for all the stakeholders in the desalination industry.
海水淡化被认为是满足日益增长的淡水需求的最可行的方法之一。尽管海水淡化带来了巨大的经济、社会和健康效益，但人们对其潜在的环境影响仍存在一些担忧。本工作的目的是批判性地评估海水淡化的潜在环境影响，并评估更环保的海水淡化的前景。系统地综述了海水淡化对海洋环境、土地、地下水和空气质量的潜在环境影响，并尝试根据实际海水淡化厂的证据分析这些所谓影响的现状。对平衡这些不利影响的缓解措施进行了批判性评估。此外，还审查了用于处置废弃流的盐水管理技术、回收珍贵材料和水以及生产有用化学品的技术。还讨论了减少海水淡化不利影响的当前挑战和可持续绿色海水淡化的前景，以克服全球水资源短缺。当前的海水淡化方法具有中等和较小的负面环境影响。然而，通过适当的缓解和现代技术的利用，这些影响可以减轻。此外，通过采用各种现代技术，废弃盐水可以用于多种有用的应用，同时减少其不利影响。海水淡化技术的最新进展也提供了许多替代方法，为更环保的海水淡化提供了路线图。本文将对海水淡化行业的所有利益相关者都有益。
