Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Desalination ProcessAdverse Effects on Marine BiotaEnergy Efficiency ConcernsCurrent Management StrategiesIsrael-Palestine Case StudyConclusionIntroductionAs Global Warming Takes Over the Planet and As prolonged drought hits many regions, citizens and their governments are scrambling to find ways to provide people with safe sources of fresh water. Although desalination has been available for decades, only recently have communities had the resources to embrace its implementation. I want to examine the environmental impacts of desalination, as the consequences of freshwater extraction processes have not yet been fully recognized. What would international and national regulations on desalination look like as more countries enter drought and acquire the technology necessary for desalination (Schriber 23-28)? Arid areas that rely on desalinated water have been shown to pose a burden to poorer communities, particularly in the case of Israel and Palestine (Elmusa 12). I intend to use these countries as a case study to illustrate how governments and private companies can complicate the process of providing clean water to a population. Negative effects are also present on marine biota and greenhouse gas emissions. Before considering desalination as a viable and sustainable source of drinking water, it is extremely necessary to consider its multi-faceted lasting effects on the environment (The Impacts of Desalination for Water). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThis document is for the Joint High-Level Expert Panel on Water, comprising members of the World Bank and United Nations. They work on policies, effective actions and the implementation of responsible treatment of the world's water resources. The first part of the article will serve to provide solid scientific background detailing the desalination process, a concept that it is important to have a basic understanding of before judging its usefulness. This will be followed by a scientific analysis of the effects of desalination on marine life and energy consumption. Next comes the policy section of the document, including recommendations for regulations to limit this environmental health problem and regulations already in place. This will include the Israel-Palestine case study which will serve to show how critical desalination can be to a public health issue. The Desalination Process Reverse osmosis is a desalination process used in 80 percent of the world's desalination plants and is expected to be the primary forward process (Greenlee). The most common alternative is to use a distillation process (Greenlee). Not all reverse osmosis plants work in exactly the same way; however, the basic functions and steps are generally similar. They have been available for over 40 years, so with improvements in technology, materials and design vary slightly from factory to factory (Contruvo). Water is drawn through inlet pipes that extend into the ocean along the seafloor. It then goes through a pre-treatment process which involves the addition of acid and coagulants/flocculants. The acid (usually sulfuric acid) serves to increase the solubility of common precipitates found in feed water. Coagulants/flocculants help neutralize the charge ofwater and bring together suspended particles so that they are more easily filtered (Greenlee). After this pretreatment, the water infiltrates a filter by gravity or is put under pressure. The media filter consists of layers of materials like sand, gravel and charcoal, from the finest to the coarsest material for drainage purposes. Then the water flows through cartridge filtration which removes the few remaining large particles missed by the media filter. Oxidizing agents are then added to disinfect the water in the final step of the desalination pretreatment process (Greenlee, Darwish). After pretreatment, the most energy-intensive part of reverse osmosis occurs. Water is pressed through a semi-permeable membrane composed of cellulose acetate, polysulfonate and polyamide. Primarily, water passes because the hydrostatic pressure of the membrane is greater than the osmotic pressure of the aqueous solution, meaning that water can diffuse through the membrane while much of the salt cannot. not. In some plants this process is repeated because it can be particularly difficult to remove certain contaminants such as boron which is only released through the membrane at a rate of 75 to 80 percent while salt is released at a rate of 99.7 percent. The water temperature and therefore the season can also have an effect on the efficiency of the reverse osmosis membrane (Greenlee). The membrane is prone to problems due to the intense use it undergoes. The membrane can become less effective because it is essentially clogged with organic matter, particles, dissolved inorganic salts as well as other contaminants. When these precipitates accumulate in the layers of the membrane, it must be cleaned with chemicals to return it to its fully operational state (Cotruvo). The water then continues past the reverse osmosis stage for post-treatment. There, it is remineralized. Often, alkalinity and pH are altered to increase water hardness, both for taste and to prevent corrosion of water infrastructure. Fluoride is usually added and the water is disinfected again. These components vary depending on the drinking water standards for the location and distribution area of ​​the desalination plant (Greenlee). The now-soft water enters holding tanks and reservoirs and is ultimately distributed as clean drinking water. The brine water is released into the ocean, far from where it was drawn into the plant. This discharge is the main source of concern regarding the impact of the desalination plant on ocean flora and fauna (Danoun). Negative effects on marine biota During the desalination process, fresh water is derived from salt water by separating the salt from the water (Cotruvo). The concentrated salt mixture left after the process is called brine and is often released into the ocean. Marine life has been shown to be negatively affected by high levels of salinity. Wind speed and direction, wave height and speed, and tide levels all affect the rate at which the brine dilutes, lowering the danger zone for aquatic life (Danoun, 20). The high salinity, alkalinity, and temperature of the brine change the components of the ocean water it enters (Danoun, 21). The negative and positive results of these few factors should be considered when planning the brine discharge system for a desalination plant. Many studies have been done to determine the effect of brine discharge on marine life. Studies are often site specific and therefore vary in their results. A conclusion common to allstudies reviewed for this article is that brine discharges definitely have an effect on ocean species (Robert, 3). About 50 percent of the water drawn into the plant is recovered as potable water, meaning that half of the water initially withdrawn is returned to the sea (Latterman, 3). Brine water leaving the desalination plant discharge stream often contains residual chemicals from the desalination process, byproducts, and heavy metals. These contaminants can affect marine ecosystems near the outlet (Latterman, 5). “Adverse effects on the marine environment can occur particularly when high wastewater discharges coincide with sensitive ecosystems (Latterman, 5). » Marine life in shallow outlets without much ocean movement tends to be more affected because brine water does not disperse as quickly as in a high-energy part of the ocean (Latterman, 6). The impact of increased salinity varies from species to species. to species. Research has been done on many types, however, more case-control experiments are needed to fully determine the effects. Shellfish tend to thrive in environments with higher salt levels, while juvenile fish populations avoid these high levels (Danoun 27). High salinity in many cases kills young plankton (Danoun, 27). It has been shown that brine discharge can alter species diversity and richness in areas near the discharge site (Roberts). This result may be related to the finding that high salinity levels can benefit some species while disadvantaging others. In addition to monitoring marine biota near actual dispersal sites, laboratory studies have been carried out regarding individual species. For example, seagrass beds exposed to high levels of salinity for 24 hours had reduced levels of photosynthesis by up to 50 percent (Roberts). Experiments have also shown that brine can be toxic to certain types of fish embryos if exposed at an early age due to contaminants left in the solution after reverse osmosis (Latterman, 11). In summary, the combination of high salinity, contaminants, and brine water temperature affects marine ecosystems in ways that are not yet fully realized. Studies and experiments carried out on specific sites focus on the impacts of certain desalination plants. The policy section of the document will emphasize the importance of this information in relation to measures to reduce these disruptions. Energy Efficiency Concerns A common concern regarding desalination is its energy efficiency and related to this is its financial viability. Almost every year, the amount of energy needed to desalinate water decreases due to technological advances and research (Elimelech). However, water desalination still consumes large amounts of energy that comes from unsustainable resources like fossil fuels. Water desalination using nuclear power has been implemented in some facilities around the world, but although the technology has been thoroughly tested, it remains largely unreliable (Nuclear). Energy Institute). Even with extensive work to improve reverse osmosis, the current method used to desalinate water, the process still requires much more energy than it theoretically should to separate salt from water. Alternative methods such as membrane step operation, cyclic desalination andthe polarization of the ionic concentration are being studied (Elimelech). A current problem that is not specific to desalination is the fact that, for the most part, renewable energy costs even more than fossil fuels. Plants that currently use alternative energy sources are smaller and often do not operate full time (Greenlee). Lauren Greenlee writes about current issues with desalination implementation: Communities that would typically benefit from coupled renewable energy-RO [reverse osmosis] systems are located in rural areas, where the financial resources and personnel to maintain the system are limited. Factors such as cost of capital, sustainable technology, technical operation, social acceptance and availability of energy resources have contributed to the slow growth of the renewable energy – RO (Greenlee) market. In isolated and poor areas plagued by drought, renewable energies associated with desalination would be a big step towards providing all populations with drinking water. Alternative energy sources include solar, wind and geothermal (Greenlee). Desalination continues to grow and become more and more energy efficient. The process involves compromise. By investing in better infrastructure and membranes, energy is saved, but the initial investment is higher (Greenlee). Creating better membranes would allow for more lax pre-treatment and post-treatment, which would significantly reduce the cost, energy and environmental impacts of desalination (Elimelech). These membranes are difficult to develop because they must be very selective without becoming blocked to allow only water to pass through (Elimélec). Financial schemes to encourage the construction of more efficient renewable energy and desalination plants have been proposed, such as construction subsidies which could potentially be repaid with money saved on fuel (Guidelines for Desalination Regulation ).Current Management StrategiesCurrently, the State of California is actually the leader and best model for desalination management when it comes to government action. The state has a Water Resources Control Board that controls source water protection plans. Specifically, the council created a policy regarding new desalination plants on the California coast after this was identified as a problem in 2011. In 2015, a desalination amendment was added to allow seawater to 'to be a resource of fresh drinking water while ensuring that the health of the oceans is maintained. This amendment includes a consistent permitting process so that local municipalities are able to assess the environmental health impacts of a desalination plant (ocean standards). The board emphasized its goal of providing reliable fresh water to the entire state of California. This goal is also considered extremely important by many states, countries and citizens. The solutions to achieve this goal exist and the Water Resources Control Board explains how they should be implemented as it relates specifically to desalination. “To be sustainable, solutions must balance the need to ensure public health and safety, protect the environment and support a stable economy. Desalination is no exception” (Oceanic Standards). In addition to the uniform permitting process, the desalination amendment also includes mandates to systematically monitor plant impacts and water levels.maximum salinity for factory brine discharges (ocean standards). The success of California's desalination plant policy has not yet been fully realized. because this amendment was adopted a little over a year ago. The key is that the negative impacts of desalination are weighed against the positive impacts in order to create effective regulations. With drought and desalination increasing, the Water Resources Control Board will surely continue to adapt and develop policy regarding new water resources. The reason this policy document is addressed to the Joint High-Level Panel on Water is that a permitting process similar to that in California also has merit internationally. The ocean is an entity shared by all nations, so it is possible that it will be regulated as such by the United Nations and the World Bank. In 2010, the United Nations declared that access to clean water is a human right because clean water is necessary for life. realization of all the greatest human rights. This resolution was adopted to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals; eight objectives intended to improve the quality of life on an international scale and to guarantee human rights (Water and Sanitation). If desalination is to become a larger part of this plan, its environmental, social and political effects must be fully considered and analyzed. This paper aimed to highlight some of these issues in the previous sections and highlight the need to create a policy proposal regarding the implementation of desalination plants. Building on previous studies on the environmental impacts of these plants and examining their policy implications; This article highlights the importance of considering alternatives to desalination and recommending serious studies before constructing a desalination plant on a given site. In order to guarantee a supply of drinking water for the entire world, we must also take into account the lasting environmental impacts potentially created by the use of these plants. Israel-Palestine Case Study The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been going on for decades and no final resolution has been found. The conflict over water is one of the issues that makes peace deals between Israel and Palestine so difficult to achieve. Water, a necessary resource for life, makes tensions between these two states even more tumultuous than they otherwise would be (Finklestein). Desalination has been in place in Israel for decades, but has recently grown to have a greater impact due to a larger population and less precipitation. Over the past ten years, four major plants have come online and it is predicted that by 2020, seventy percent of Israel's drinking water will come from these facilities (Lev). The government still tightly controls water in Israeli-occupied areas, so Palestinians cannot directly benefit from desalination and conservation efforts. This is a circumstance in which desalination does not completely improve the situation of all those affected by the lack of drinking water (Francisco). This infographic from the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding aims to illustrate the disparity in access to water in a nearby geographic area. due to government policies. It is not intended to target Israel, but rather to serve as an example of how politics can determine access to fresh water. That is to say, there are ways of allocating water at the governmental level that have nothing to do with the lack of resources,.