Desalination Brine Research Articles

Rapid and selective lithium recovery from desalination brine using an electrochemical system.

Due to the steep increase in the use of mobile electronics and electric vehicles, there has been a dramatic rise in the global lithium consumption. Although seawater is considered as an ideal future source of lithium, technological advances are necessary to ensure the economic feasibility of lithium recovery from seawater because the concentration and portion of Li+ are extremely low in seawater. Especially, battery-based electrochemical systems for lithium recovery have been considered as promising lithium recovery methods, though they have not been considered for seawater applications due to the extremely low concentration of Li+. In this study, we demonstrate that an electrochemical system based on a battery electrode material (λ-MnO2) can be used for efficient lithium recovery from desalination brine (2-3 times concentrated seawater). Our approach was able to capture Li+ within a substantially short period of time compared to conventional processes at a rate that was at least 3 times faster than that of adsorption processes, and our approach did not require acid or toxic chemicals unlike the other recovery technologies. Moreover, by consecutive operation of the system, a lithium recovery solution containing 190 mM of Li+ was obtained with only a small consumption of energy (3.07 Wh gLi-1), and the purity of Li+ was increased to 99.0%.

Feasibility of Reverse Osmosis Desalination Brine as Artificial “Dead Sea” Pool Water

In this paper, a detailed water quality monitoring was conducted on desalination brine according to the basic health requirements for water quality in bathing beaches, swimming pools and other bathing venues. The results showed that desalination brine could fully meet the requirements, so its use as the water source of artificial “Dead Sea” was theoretically feasible. Through further analysis and research, a salt-ozone treatment process was proposed, and optimal process parameters were obtained. Salt dosage could be 100 - 120 g per liter of brine. Ozone input was 5 - 10 g/L for treating 0.5 - 1 h. Average treatment cost was 4.96 - 6.03 $ per ton of water, which was much lower than the conventional artificial “Dead Sea” producing costs.

Removal of nickel and vanadium from desalination brines by ion-exchange resins

Removal of nickel and vanadium from desalination brines by ion-exchange resins

Nature-inspired salt resistant bimodal porous solar evaporator for efficient and stable water desalination

A bimodal porous evaporator is developed for efficient, stable, and salt-rejecting desalination of seawater and high-concentration brines.

Impacts of antiscalants on the formation of calcium solids: implication on scaling potential of desalination concentrate

Brackish water desalination has become increasingly important in arid inland regions for reliable water supplies, but the management of desalination brine waste is costly.

Determination of optimal conditions for magnesium recovery process from seawater desalination brine using paper sludge ash, sulfuric acid, and ethanol

Determination of optimal conditions for magnesium recovery process from seawater desalination brine using paper sludge ash, sulfuric acid, and ethanol

Uranium Resource Recovery from Desalination Plant Feed and Reject Water Using Amidoxime Functionalized Adsorbent

With global demand for nuclear power expected to rise, new nuclear fuel resources must be explored to ensure the viability and sustainability of nuclear power. Uranium recovery from seawater is one potential source, though the low concentration of uranium in seawater is a significant obstacle. As a concentrate of seawater, desalination brine reject would have a significantly higher uranyl concentration. In this work, the adsorption of uranium and competing ions in brine reject is investigated. Adsorption experiments were performed over 84 days in 5-gallon batch tanks with amidoxime adsorbents and samples taken from the feed seawater and reverse osmosis brine reject of the Tampa Bay Desalination Plant. The aqueous concentration and adsorbed mass of uranium, zinc, copper, iron, vanadium, calcium, and magnesium were determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Aqueous adsorption modeling was used to simulate speciation and adsorption of these ions under the experimental conditions. The ad...

Acceleration of CO2 mineralisation of alkaline brines with nickel nanoparticles catalysts in continuous tubular reactor

CO2 mineralisation is an effective process to sequester this greenhouse gas into solid carbonates permanently. A source of alkaline earth metals for CO2 mineralisation that has significant sequestration capacity based on worldwide availability, but seldom studied, are desalination brines. In this work, we investigate the brine carbonation process with a continuous plug-flow tubular reactor. This reaction system is particularly suitable for industrial applications as it can be easily scaled-up, and enables better process control, optimization and integration. Catalytically active nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) are applied to improve the mineralisation process, by accelerating the rate-limiting step of carbonic acid formation. To counter CO2 acidification effect, the brine was contacted with blast furnace (BF) slags to transfer alkalinity, with sodium hydroxide being used as an additional alkali to achieve the required pH. The effects of reaction temperature, composition of alkaline brine solution and residence time in the tubular reactor, on the calcium conversion efficiency (CCE) and the mineral composition of the precipitates were investigated. The extent of brine carbonation, and hence carbonate precipitation in the outlet solution was measured by ICP-OES, and by imaging of the void fraction in the outlet stream. The mineralogy and morphology of precipitates were analysed by XRD, FTIR and SEM. It was found that CCE is increased by about 10% at 50 °C with 30-ppm NiNPs addition, which also favoured the formation of calcite polymorph. Under other process conditions, such as in the presence of other salts (Mg2+, Na+), aragonite and vaterite polymorphs were also obtained.

Ultrathin ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheet laminated membrane for high-flux desalination of concentrated brines.

The tremendous potential of zeolite membranes for efficient molecular separation via size-exclusion effects is highly desired by the energy and chemical industries, but its practical realization has been hindered by nonselective permeation through intercrystalline spaces and high resistance to intracrystalline diffusion in the conventional zeolite membranes of randomly oriented polycrystalline structures. Here, we report the synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheets with very large aspect ratios and nanometer-scale thickness in the preferred straight channel direction. We used these ZSM-5 nanosheets to fabricate ultrathin (<500 nm) laminated membranes on macroporous alumina substrates by a simple dip-coating process and subsequent consolidation via vapor-phase crystallization. This ultrathin b-oriented ZSM-5 membrane has demonstrated extraordinary water flux combined with high salt rejection in pervaporation desalination for brines containing up to 24 weight % of dissolved NaCl. The ZSM-5 nanosheets may also offer opportunities to developing high-performance battery ion separators, catalysts, adsorbents, and thin-film sensors.

Direct Contact Membrane Distillation for Desalination Brine Solution

Desalination is a process where fresh water produces from high salinity solutions, many ways used for this purpose and one of the most important processes is membrane distillation (MD). Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) can be considered as the most prominent type from MD types according to ease of design and modus operandi. This work studies the efficiency of using DCMD operation for desalination brine with different concentration (1.75, 3.5, 5 wt. % NaCl). Frame and plate cell was used with flat sheet PTFE hydrophobic type membrane. The study proves that MD is an effective process for desalination brines with feed temperature less than 60˚C especially for feed with low TDS. 37˚C, 47˚C, and 57˚C was feed temperature and 17, 22, 27˚C as permeate temperatures used in study, temperature in both sides of membrane are recorded and TDS for permeate collected to assure that there is no penetration of brine to permeate side, the results took every 30 min for time experiment of 180 min. From results, the flux increases with increasing feed temperature and flow rate, and decreasing with increasing feed concentration, experiment time, and permeate temperature. &#x0D;

Feasibility study for the production of multi-oxidants from the desalination of seawater brine

Abstract The primary goals of this study are to compare the efficiency of multiple oxidants that are produced using different commercially available anodes and separators and to optimize the reaction conditions for the recovery of multiple oxidants from brine. The brine produced in the desalination plants in Taiwan is the concentrated seawater that is recovered after the reverse osmosis process. The main component in the solution is NaCl. On average, chlorine concentration is approximately 3–5% by weight, which is slightly higher than the concentration for normal seawater. This concentrated brine can be used as raw material for the electrolyte to extract mixed disinfectant solutions. This study uses different catalytic electrolyzers to compare the efficiency with which multiple oxidants are produced using anodes that are coated in precious metal. A ruthenium-coated titanium anode generates the largest amount of active chlorine (chlorine dioxide). In terms of the diaphragms that are tested, the DuPont Nafion NE-2030 ion film produces active chlorine most efficiently. If no other chemicals are added to the brine (salinity 11.3%), Cl2 (302–376 mg L−1) is the primary oxidant generated from the original brine, and ClO2 (3.7–7.2 mg L−1) is the minor product in batch electrolysis. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the kind support of CAWQ/ACQE (https://www.cawq.ca).

First large-scale ecological impact study of desalination outfall reveals trade-offs in effects of hypersalinity and hydrodynamics

Desalination is an increasingly common method of meeting potable water demands, but the associated ecological risks are not well understood. Seawater desalination plants discharge large volumes of hypersaline brine directly into the ocean, raising concerns about potential impacts to marine life. In order to reduce impacts of brine, newer desalination outfalls are often fitted with high-pressure diffusers that discharge brine at high velocity into the water column, increasing the mixing and dilution of brine with ocean water. However, there are few published studies of marine impacts of desalination brine, and no well replicated before-after designs. Here we report a six-year study testing for impacts and subsequent recovery of sessile marine invertebrate recruitment near a desalination outfall with high-pressure diffusers. We used a Multiple Before-After-Control-Impact (MBACI) design to test for impacts and recovery at two distances (30 m and 100 m) from a 250 ML/day plant outfall, as well as a gradient design to test the strength of impacts relative to distance from the outfall. The diffusers achieved the target of less than 1 psμ salinity difference to surrounding ambient waters within 100 m of the discharge outfall, but sessile invertebrates were nonetheless impacted. Polychaetes, bryozoans and sponges reduced in cover as far as 100 m from the outfall, while barnacles showed the opposite pattern and were more abundant near the discharging outfall. Ecological impacts were disproportionate to the relatively minor change in salinity (∼1 psμ), suggesting a mechanism other than salinity. We propose that impacts were primarily driven by changes in hydrodynamics caused by the diffusers, such as higher near-bed flow away from the outfall. This is consistent with flow preferences of various taxonomic groups, which differ due to differences in settlement and feeding abilities. High-pressure diffusers designed to reduce impacts of hypersalinity may inadvertently cause impacts through hydrodynamics, leading to a trade-off in minimizing combined salinity and hydrodynamic stress. This study provides the first before-after test of ecological impacts of desalination brine on sessile marine communities, and rare insight into mechanisms behind impacts of a growing form of human disturbance.

Phenomenological prediction of desalination brines nanofiltration through the indirect determination of zeta potential

Abstract The prediction of nanofiltration (NF) performance at environmentally relevant conditions, e.g.: highly saline brine solutions, is becoming of increasing interest for the recovery of waste materials in the water desalination industry. In this work, the prediction of the separation of sulfate and chloride contained in the retentate of reverse osmosis brackish water desalination by means of the commercial NF270 membrane is studied. Prior to theoretical modelling, streaming potential measurements were performed for aqueous single and binary mixtures of NaCl and Na2SO4 within the range of ionic strengths 1–100 mol/m3. Zeta potential values were obtained applying an extrapolation method from recent literature to allow the calculation of surface charge density under higher ionic strengths found in reverse osmosis desalination brines (100–1200 mol/m3). Then, the obtained surface charge density was used to simulate sulfate, chloride and sodium rejections by means of the Donnan steric pore model (DSPM), in the pressure range 2–20 bar. The good agreement between experimental and simulated rejection values allows validating the approach that enables the prediction of NF performance for the separation of monovalent and divalent anions, of interest for the purification of desalination brines before their further exploitation as a source of sodium chloride concentrated solutions.

Conceptual design of a CO2 capture and utilisation process based on calcium and magnesium rich brines

Carbon capture and utilisation processes, CCU, are those processes aiming to produce usable products from CO2-based materials. Although there are a large number of CCU alternatives, only a few are able to propose routes for the massive production of marketable CO2 based products with a negative or neutral carbon footprint in the long term. In this work, a conceptual design of a process aimed to produce a cementitious construction material, based on magnesium carbonate trihydrate, also known as nesquehonite, is discussed and experimentally tested. Desalination brines are proposed as the source of aqueous magnesium. However, these brines contain a non-negligible amount of calcium, which interferes in the development of cementitious properties from nesquehonite. In order to avoid this interference, a multi-stage precipitation is proposed, where calcium carbonate precipitates in a first stage, and pure nesquehonite can be obtained in a second stage. A thermodynamic model, based on empirical observations from the precipitation system, is proposed and the technical feasibility of three process alternatives are evaluated against the outcomes from the model. The preferred alternative, from the technical and economic point of view, is to conduct a full absorption of CO2 as aqueous carbonate, which is then split in two streams for both precipitation stages. The advantage of this alternative is the applicability to different types of brines, the probably faster and more economic absorption stage, and the easier control of the reaction conditions, as pH and temperature.

Impact of brine and antiscalants on reef-building corals in the Gulf of Aqaba – Potential effects from desalination plants

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is becoming an increasingly important source of potable water in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Discharge of brine-effluent from desalination facilities has been shown to significantly impact coastal marine ecosystems ranging from seagrass meadows to microbial communities. In this study, we examined the impacts of increased salinity (10% above ambient) and presence of antiscalants (0.2 mg L−1, polyphosphonate-based) on three reef-building coral species; Stylophora pistillata, Acropora tenuis and Pocillopora verrucosa, from the Gulf of Aqaba (northern Red-Sea). Our results indicate that the corals, as well as associated bacteria and algae, were significantly impaired by the elevated salinity and antiscalants, leading to partial bleaching. Specifically, the abundance of bacteria and symbiotic algae as well as calcification rates were typically lower (20–85%, 50–90% and 40–50%, respectively) following incubations with both amendments. However, the impact of desalination brine was often species-specific. Thus, we propose that the ecotoxicological criteria used for hard corals should be determined based on the sensitivity of key species in the community dominating the area affected by desalination discharge.

High-Pressure Reverse Osmosis for Energy-Efficient Hypersaline Brine Desalination: Current Status, Design Considerations, and Research Needs

Water scarcity, expected to become more widespread in the coming years, demands renewed attention to freshwater protection and management. Critical to this effort are the minimization of freshwater withdrawals and elimination of wastewater discharge, both of which can be achieved via zero liquid discharge (ZLD), an aggressive wastewater management approach. Because of the high energetic cost of thermal desalination, ZLD is particularly challenging for high-salinity wastewaters. In this review, we discuss the potential of high-pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO) (i.e., reverse osmosis operated at a hydraulic pressure greater than ∼100 bar) to efficiently desalinate hypersaline brines. We first discuss the inherent energy efficiency of membrane processes compared to that of conventional thermal processes for brine desalination. We then highlight the opportunity of HPRO to reduce energy requirements for desalination of key high-salinity industrial wastewaters. The current state of membrane materials and processe...

Special Issue on Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technologies

Wastewater treatment allows for the safe disposal of municipal and industrial wastewater to protect public health and the ecosystem[...]

Sodium Hydroxide Production from Seawater Desalination Brine: Process Design and Energy Efficiency

The ability to increase pH is a crucial need for desalination pretreatment (especially in reverse osmosis) and for other industries, but processes used to raise pH often incur significant emissions and nonrenewable resource use. Alternatively, waste brine from desalination can be used to create sodium hydroxide, via appropriate concentration and purification pretreatment steps, for input into the chlor-alkali process. In this work, an efficient process train (with variations) is developed and modeled for sodium hydroxide production from seawater desalination brine using membrane chlor-alkali electrolysis. The integrated system includes nanofiltration, concentration via evaporation or mechanical vapor compression, chemical softening, further ion-exchange softening, dechlorination, and membrane electrolysis. System productivity, component performance, and energy consumption of the NaOH production process are highlighted, and their dependencies on electrolyzer outlet conditions and brine recirculation are investigated. The analysis of the process also includes assessment of the energy efficiency of major components, estimation of system operating expense and comparison with similar processes. The brine-to-caustic process is shown to be technically feasible while offering several advantages, that is, the reduced environmental impact of desalination through lessened brine discharge, and the increase in the overall water recovery ratio of the reverse osmosis facility. Additionally, best-use conditions are given for producing caustic not only for use within the plant, but also in excess amounts for potential revenue.

Coastal California Wastewater Effluent as a Resource for Seawater Desalination Brine Commingling

California frequently experiences water scarcity, especially in high population areas. This has generated increased interest in using the Pacific Ocean as a water resource, with seawater desalination becoming a popular solution. To mitigate the environmental impacts of the high salinity brine from seawater desalination, California recommends commingling brine with wastewater effluent before ocean discharge. Results reveal that throughout the California coast, approximately 4872 MLD (1287 MGD) of treated wastewater are discharged into the ocean and might be available as dilution water. Most of this dilution water resource is produced in Southern California (3161 MLD or 835 MGD) and the San Francisco Bay Area (1503 MLD or 397 MGD), which are also the areas with the highest need for alternative water sources. With this quantity of dilution water, in principle, over 5300 MLD (1400 MGD) of potable water could be produced in California through seawater desalination. Furthermore, this study provides a survey of the treatment levels and typical discharge violations of ocean wastewater treatment facilities in California.

Impacts of climate change on the municipal water management system in the Kingdom of Bahrain: Vulnerability assessment and adaptation options

An assessment of the vulnerability of the municipal water management system to the impacts of climate change in the Kingdom of Bahrain, manifested by the increase in demands due to increase in temperatures, is conducted using a dynamic mathematical model representing the water sector in the kingdom. The model is developed using WEAP software and was calibrated and validated by historical matching utilizing data for the period 2000–2012. The model is used in the evaluation of the municipal water sector performance in terms of municipal water demands and their associated cost without and with climate change impacts scenarios for the period 2012–2030. The impact of climate change on the municipal water system is quantified as the difference between the two scenarios in three selected cost indicators: financial (production, conveyance and distribution costs), economic (natural gas asset consumption by desalination plants), and environmental (CO2 emissions by desalination plants). The vulnerability assessment indicated that the current municipal water management system in Bahrain is generally inefficient and associated with relatively high costs, which are expected to increase with time under the current policies and management approach focusing on supply-side management. The increase in temperature will increase these already high costs, and would exacerbate the water management challenges in Bahrain. However, these mounting challenges also present an opportune moment for Bahrain to review its current water resources management approaches and practices and to integrate climate change adaptation measures into its water planning and policies. In order to build an adaptive management capacity of the municipal water management system in Bahrain, a number of management interventions are proposed and evaluated, individually and combined, for their effectiveness in enhancing the efficiency of the management system using the developed dynamic model. These are: reduction of the leakage percentage in the municipal water distributions network and reducing per capita water consumption by raising water awareness among consumers and installing water saving devices in residential units. The evaluation results indicate that there is a large potential for reducing the municipal water demand and its associated cost, especially when all the three are combined; by the year 2030 it is estimated that the cumulative financial saving would be about US$ 2.9 Billion, the cumulative reduction in CO2 emission would be about 19.7 Million tons, and the preservation of the kingdom’s limited natural gas reserves would be about 4 Billion m3. In addition, a major reduction in desalination brine discharge to the marine environment and reduction of generated wastewater and their associated collection and treatment cost could be achieved from the implementation of these interventions. Adopting such management interventions will not only enhance the efficiency of the municipal water management system, but it will also help the Kingdom in its efforts in reducing its greenhouse gasses emissions. It is recommended that similar climate change vulnerability and adaptation analysis is extended to the whole water sector in Bahrain to include other major water consuming sectors (i.e., agricultural, industrial, and tourism sectors) and their sources of water (i.e., groundwater and wastewater) in Bahrain.