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

Clark, Graeme F.; Knott, Nathan A.; Miller, Brett; Kelaher, Brendan P.; Coleman, Melinda A.; Ushiama, Shinjiro; Johnston, Emma L.

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2018.08.071

Cited by 36 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…However, the current lack of long-term studies highlights the need for more comprehensive research in this field (Clark et al, 2018;De-la-Ossa-Carretero et al, 2016b;Del-Pilar-Ruso et al, 2015;Fernández-Torquemada et al, 2013;Kress et al, 2020). Nevertheless, the present research provides a model example of a sustainable SWRO plant that can act as a reference as the use of RO technology to produce freshwater increases globally (Jones et al, 2019;Shahzad et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Sustainable desalination: Long-term monitoring of brine discharge in the marine environment

Solà

Fernández‐Torquemada

Forcada

et al. 2020

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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The environmental impact of desalination is the most important concern related to its sustainable development. We present the results of a long-term environmental plan to monitor brine discharge (BD) from a desalination plant located in a high environmental value area in Spain. Generalized additive models were used to analyze the biological parameters of biological communities. Results of 17 years of BD monitoring show how its environmental impact can be minimized through well-planned decision-making between scientists and industry. The brine dilution prior to its discharge into an artificial channel of low ecological value significantly reduced the brine This is a previous version of the article published in

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Sustainable desalination: Long-term monitoring of brine discharge in the marine environment

Solà

Fernández‐Torquemada

Forcada

et al. 2020

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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“…less than 15 km 2 , or 0.03% of a 1-km wide buffer of the about 46,000 km long Mediterranean coastline). Recent studies ( Wood et al., 2020 ; Clark et al., 2018 ) suggest that a high water velocity, hence dilution at the point of brine discharge may cause hydrodynamic disturbance, as well as more persistent density currents in the far field, with potentially negative ecological implications, prompting the appraisal of brine disposal on a case-by-case basis.…”

Section: Brine Disposal Is a Manageable Issuementioning

confidence: 99%

Can seawater desalination be a win-win fix to our water cycle?

et al. 2020

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While we increasingly turn to desalination as a secure water supply, it is still perceived as an expensive and environmentally damaging solution, affordable only for affluent societies. In this contribution, we recast desalination from one of a last resort to a far-reaching, climate change mitigating, water security solution. First, we argue that the benefits of desalination go beyond the single-use value of the water produced. If coupled with water reuse for irrigation, desalination reduces groundwater abstraction and augments the water cycle. As such, it may support both adaptation to, and mitigation of climate change impacts by deploying plentiful water for human use, with all the benefits that entails, while helping preserve and restore ecosystems. Second, we counter two arguments commonly raised against desalination, namely its environmental impact and high cost. The environmental impact can be fully controlled so as not to pose long-term threats, if driven by renewable energy. Desalination may then have a zero carbon footprint. Moreover, appropriately designed outfalls make the disposal of brine at sea compatible with marine ecosystems.. Recovery of energy, minerals and more water from brine reject (particularly in the form of vapour for cooling to enable more crops and vegetation to grow), while possible, is often hardly economically justified. However, resource recovery may become more attractive in the future, and help reduce the brine volumes to dispose of. When fresh water becomes scarce, its cost tends to go up, making desalination increasingly economic. Moreover, desalination can have virtually no environmental costs. Considering the environmental costs of over-abstraction of freshwater, desalination tilts the balance in its favour.

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“…Australia's natural variability of salinity in open waters (1 psu) has been used as a threshold to be maintained at a certain distance from the discharge [68,69]. Most marine organisms should be adapted to salinity changes of the same magnitude as natural changes [69].…”

Section: Salinity Tolerance Thresholdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of brine on the marine environment and how it can be reduced

Fernández‐Torquemada¹,

Carratalá²,

Sánchez-Lizaso³

2019

Desalination and Water Treatment

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Seawater desalination is a potential solution for addressing water shortages. The number of desalination plants projected and constructed in some regions has substantially increased in recent decades. However, desalination process poses some undesirable environmental impacts in terms of energy consumption, land use, and seawater intake, but particularly the most significant impacts are related with effluent disposal and discharge. Thus, the challenge for the desalination industry is to produce new water resources without increasing pressure on the marine environment. The effluent characteristics depend on the feed water and desalination technology used. Negative environmental impacts of brine discharge from a desalination plant can be minimized by appropriate planning. The countermeasures should vary depending on plant size and type, the biological communities in the discharge area, and the area's hydrogeological features. This study overviews the available information about minimizing the harmful effects of the desalination industry. It highlights that an appropriate discharge location must be selected and the mixing of brine with ambient seawater must be maximized to reduce the environmental impacts of brine. Moreover, it is helpful to establish a carefully designed environmental monitoring program to assess brine plume distribution over time while monitoring biota. Frequent environmental monitoring programs of desalination plants normally show that impacts are small, localized, and unimportant; however, significant effects have been detected in some cases. In these cases, effects can be mitigated by introducing devices that increase the mixing of effluent and surrounding seawater or/and by diluting the effluent before discharge.

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

Cited by 36 publications

References 39 publications

Sustainable desalination: Long-term monitoring of brine discharge in the marine environment

Sustainable desalination: Long-term monitoring of brine discharge in the marine environment

Can seawater desalination be a win-win fix to our water cycle?

Impact of brine on the marine environment and how it can be reduced

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