Dead Sea Project Research Articles

Massive-Scale Dissolution, Conveyance, and Disposal of Dead Sea Potash Industry Halite Waste.

The Dead Sea (DS) potash industry halite waste accumulation rate is estimated at 0.2 m year-1, across 140 km2 of evaporation ponds in Israel and Jordan, totaling ∼28 million m3 year-1. As accommodation in the southern DS basin space is nearly exhausted, it is planned in Israel to dredge newly precipitated salt and convey it in a solid state to the northern DS basin by constructing a 30 km conveyor to the northern DS basin where the salt will be disposed. Concerns regarding the environmental impacts of such massive undertaking led to the examination of alternative solutions. The alternative discussed in the paper, which takes into account the estimated halite waste volumes in Jordan as well, examines the feasibility for dissolution of the dredged halite and its transport in a dissolved state and disposal in the DS by seawater (SW) or desalination reject brine (RB) from the Red Sea─Dead Sea Project (RSDSP), if constructed. Results show that the high halite solubility in SW/RB and rapid dissolution kinetics are sufficiently fast to dispose of the dredged halite with the discussed volumes of the RSDSP. Thermodynamic calculations are presented to show that precipitation dynamics following the mixing of the Na+-Cl--loaded SW/RB with the DS brine could be controlled to avoid outsalting at the mixing point in the DS.

Dynamics of turbidity in gypsum-precipitating brines: The case of the Red Sea – Dead Sea project

Authigenic processes in aqueous environments, such as mineral precipitation, can create turbidity which may have undesired effects on the natural environment and in industrial processes. Turbidity is often used to monitor such environments, as a mean to determine water quality and to follow the industrial processes. However, turbidity develops and grows or dissipates with time as the processes underlying its development advance. This dynamic nature of turbidity has yet to be studied.The proposed pilot Red Sea – Dead Sea project (RSDSP) is to desalinate seawater from the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat and convey the reject brine, with or without additional seawater, to the Dead Sea to slow down the rate of its water level decline. The pilot is considered environmentally safe and will be used as a mean to determine if increased inflow volumes to stabilize the Dead Sea level will not negatively affect the lake. The mixing of the two very different solutions will lead to gypsum precipitation in the Dead Sea. In a large-scale project, if this gypsum remains in suspension, it may result in increased turbidity and whitening of the Dead Sea's surface water, thereby impacting the lake's appearance, its energy balance, and its touristic and mineral industries.We have studied the dynamic nature of turbidity as gypsum crystals form, grow and sink out of the water column in enriched mixtures of Dead Sea brine with seawater from the Red Sea. Our laboratory experiments suggest that precipitation from simple mixtures is likely to proceed without creating a significant spontaneous increase in turbidity. Turbidity did however develop in sulfate-enriched mixtures that had higher initial oversaturation. In these enriched solutions increased turbidity was observed, which developed faster and to higher values with increasing initial oversaturation. A linear relationship was found between the mass of gypsum precipitated and turbidity. However, this relationship was not universal; a unit mass of precipitated gypsum resulted in higher turbidity when the gypsum precipitated from mixtures having higher %wt of Dead Sea.This study shows that under laboratory conditions, mixtures of Dead Sea - seawater or Dead Sea – reject brine, do not develop turbidity due to gypsum precipitation. However, precipitation process in large scale natural systems can differ from those in the lab. Therefore, our findings cannot unequivocally conclude whether a whitening of the Dead Sea would develop following the implementation of the full scale RSDSP. Nevertheless, it does set forth the factors that need to be monitored during the pilot stage. Moreover, the study also demonstrates that: 1) authigenic processes do not lead to a one-to-one relationship between particulate matter and turbidity; and 2) turbidity readings must first be calibrated before used as a monitoring tool to identify and quantify gypsum formation (e.g., in desalination plants) or for the determination of induction times (e.g., in experiments).

Mixing of Dead Sea and Red Sea waters and changes in their physical properties

The present work emphasizes on the changes in the Red Sea and Dead Sea mixed waters physical properties including: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, density, salinity and viscosity. It focuses on the impacts of changes in mixed water quality on the Dead Sea ecosystem and the current industrial activities. The pilot project site consisted of six water ponds (tanks) located next to Arab Potash Company point of intake about 100 m south of the Dead Sea shores. The Red Sea - Dead Sea water mixing was controlled and done based on the expected mixing ratios between Red Sea and Dead Sea waters to mimic the potential actual situation associated with Red Sea – Dead Sea project conduit.All measured properties of mixed water bodies in tanks 1 to 5 tend to behave differently from similar Dead Sea water (tank 6) properties. The properties variations depend on the rate of diluting the Dead Sea water by Red Sea water and rejected brine. The least altered physical properties were observed when the Red Sea concentrated brine was added to the Dead Sea water (tank 5). The obtained results show that transferring Red Sea water to Dead Sea would lead to dilution of Dead Sea brine and affects significantly the investigated mixed water physical properties. Water mixing project is expected to cease the halite precipitation phenomenon due to the development of stratification in the Dead Sea and halite dissolution.Based on the industrial needs for the Dead Sea brine with its current physical properties, it is recommended to add rejected brine only to the Dead Sea due to its minimal effect on physical properties variations.

The effect of phosphonate-based antiscalant on gypsum precipitation kinetics and habit in hyper-saline solutions: An experimental and modeling approach to the planned Red Sea – Dead Sea Project

The effect of phosphonate-based antiscalant on the precipitation kinetics of gypsum under the hyper-saline solutions relevant to the Red Sea-Dead Sea desalination project was studied. Batch experiments were carried out to determine the effect on the induction times and rates of nucleation and gypsum crystal growth. A wide range of ionic strength (5.5–9 m), pH (6.33–6.91) and oversaturation with respect to the mineral (1.69 ≤ Ωgypsum ≤ 2.11) were covered in the experiments.Induction times in solutions that contained the antiscalant were longer by about 20–500% compared to solutions with a similar composition that did not contain the antiscalant. In the presence of the antiscalant fewer crystals precipitated that were larger in size. The specific surface area of the crystals that precipitated in solutions that contained the antiscalant were smaller in about 20–500% than those that precipitated in solutions that did not contain the antiscalant, and the relative specific surface area was in agreement with the induction time. We conclude that increased interfacial tension in the presence of the antiscalant, retards nucleation and reduces the surface area available for growth. Subsequent rates of crystal growth were impervious to the presence of the antiscalant.

The effect of a phosphonate-based antiscalant on the morphology and precipitation kinetics of gypsum: The Red Sea – Dead Sea project

The proposed plan for the 'Red Sea – Dead Sea project' has raised concerns that the surface water of the Dead Sea would turn white due to gypsum precipitation. The occurrence of such an event would depend on the precipitation kinetics and the morphology of the precipitating crystals. Batch experiments were conducted to study the effect of a phosphonate-based antiscalant on the precipitation kinetics and morphology of gypsum under the conditions of this project. Addition of the antiscalant was found to increase the induction time by a factor of 1.2-5 over the entire range of Dead Sea – Seawater mixtures investigated, depending on brine composition. Once nucleation occurred, the antiscalant also slowed the crystal growth by a factor of 1.2-3. However, when the solutions were seeded with gypsum, the rate of crystal growth with and without antiscalant were similar, within uncertainty. More crystals precipitated from unseeded solutions with no antiscalant and the crystals were smaller and less tabular than those precipitated from unseeded solutions with antiscalant.

Maritime navigation, energy security, and peace dividend: Exploring the historic developments of the Dead Sea conveyance project

ABSTRACTThe Dead Sea has attracted a wide range of interest over the last 160 years. Colonization, political aspirations, maritime navigation, energy security, desalination, biblical beliefs, Zionism, and regional peace dividends; all of these topics have been a motivation to explore the feasibility of building a seawater conveyance to the Dead Sea. The highlight of these ambitious quests was a vision of a waterway that would connect the three basins: the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea. The three phases of history around this Dead Sea project plan are reviewed in this article.

Improving safety behaviour and accident rates of professional drivers: the Dead Sea project

It was the aim of the Dead Sea project to change and improve traffic safety behaviour and lower the accident rates of professional drivers by applying principles and techniques known from social and traffic psychology. All interventions were based on a sample of 48 workers from one company. Extensive changes in attitudes were obtained by manipulating the workers' behaviour and causing them to publicly represent positive safety attitudes and values. The results show significant improvements in safety behaviour and reductions of accident rates. In spite of the fact that only a small minority of the workers in this plant directly participated in the programme, many others were influenced and improved their safety behaviour on the road. Therefore, the employed method seems to be not only effective but also very cost efficient.

A model for simultaneous sensitivity analysis of projects

The present paper deals with the economic evaluation of long-range capital intensive public investment projects. A model is developed that enables the decision marker to envisage in graphical form the entire spectrum of possible outcomes, and to perform simultaneous sensitivity analysis of major economic and structural parameters. Economic feasibility regions, in terms of the project's IRBRs (Internal Rates of Benefit Return), replace the endless disputes about the ‘adequate’ discount rate, highlighting the impact of probable deviation from the expected capital cost and benefit stream. The model is applied to the Mediterranean–Dead Sea Project, one of Israel's largest and most controversial public investment plans.

Solar energy and hydroelectric power generation in the Dead Sea: A dynamic analysis

A dynamic optimal control model is developed for generating hydroelectric power in the Dead Sea. Properties of the optimal utilization path and steady state equilibria are analyzed, and the applicability of the model for other types of water development projects is discussed. Estimates of the basic equations for the Dead Sea project and a numerical application are presented.

Israel's Dead Sea Project

Evolution de la production d'energie electrique en Israel de 1960 a 1982. Analyse de praticabilite economique du projet de centrale hydroelectrique utilisant la difference de niveau entre la Mer Mediterrannee et la Mer Morte pour trois scenarios de croissance des besoins en energie electrique jusqu'en 2010

Preliminary considerations of combining a large reverse osmosis plant with the Mediterranean—dead sea project

A preliminary investigation of the potential benefits of a reverse osmosis plant designed in conjunction with the Mediterranean— Dead Sea project, in order to utilize gravity pressure as partial energy source for the desalting process, has been made. Energy requirements of alternative conceptual operating schemes were evaluated and compared to those of conventional reverse osmosis. Overall comparative economics of conventional and conjunctive systems were analyzed and discussed.