Modelling and environmentally sound management of brine discharges from desalination plants

Bleninger, Tobias; Jirka, Gerhard H.

doi:10.1016/j.desal.2007.02.059

Cited by 125 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Este método de tratamiento consiste en la descarga del concentrado en una masa de agua superficial, es decir al océano cercano o al mar, ríos, estuarios, bahías o lagos. Es la práctica más común, ya que la mayoría de las plantas están situadas junto a las aguas superficiales (WHO 2007, Bleninger et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

See 1 more Smart Citation

Comparación De Métodos De Descarga Para Vertidos De Salmueras, Provenientes De Una Planta Desalinizadora en Sonora, México

Dévora-Isiordia

Lizárraga

Weihs

et al. 2017

Rev. Int. Contam. Ambie.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Palabras clave: ósmosis inversa, agua de rechazo, impacto ambiental RESUMEN Una alternativa para hacer frente al desabasto de agua para consumo humano, industrial y agrícola, es la desalinización de aguas marinas y salobres. Este proceso consiste en la separación de sales del agua mediante diversas tecnologías. Sin embargo, a pesar de los beneficios que ofrecen, una desventaja importante del proceso es la cantidad de salmuera generada y su impacto ambiental como resultado de su alta salinidad. Bajo este contexto, el objetivo de este estudio es realizar una comparación de técnicas de descarga para vertidos de salmueras producidas por una planta desalinizadora. Se propuso llevar a cabo la investigación de métodos de disposición, para proponer la técnica más adecuada que disminuya el impacto ambiental producido en la zona de estudio. Para ello, se operó una planta desalinizadora de 100 m 3 /d con recuperación del 85 % en agua producto y 15 % en agua de rechazo. Se comparó la diferencia de concentraciones de salinidad entre agua alimentación y rechazo (salmuera). Los resultados indican que hubo un aumento en la salinidad del agua rechazo respecto a la de alimentación (de 2931 mg/L hasta 6756 mg/L de sólidos disueltos totales). Este aumento en la concentración muestra que es importante regular o disponer el vertido de salmueras para evitar impactos negativos al ecosistema receptor. Para este proyecto el método más adecuado, según la zona de estudio, es operar una granja acuícola para producción de camarón con alto valor comercial. Esta propuesta se identificó para el control y el uso de vertidos de salmuera en la zona del Valle del Yaqui, Sonora, México.Key words: reverse osmosis, rejection water, environmental impact ABSTRACT One of the alternatives for tackling water shortages for human, industrial and agricultural use is desalination of seawater and brackish water. Desalination involves the separation of dissolved salts from water, by means of several technologies. However, despite the benefits that the technologies offer, an important disadvantage of the process is the amount of brine generated and its environmental impact as a result of its high salinity. In this context, the aim of this study is to compare the techniques available to discharge brines from a desalination plant, through the investigation of adequate disposal methods, in order to propose the best technique, to decrease the environmental Rev. Int. Contam. Ambie. 33

show abstract

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Permite la reutilización de efluentes de desalinización para el riego de cultivos tolerantes a la salinidad. Depende de la tolerancia de las plantas a la salinidad y del cumplimiento con las normas de calidad para agua de riego (Bleninger et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Comparación De Métodos De Descarga Para Vertidos De Salmueras, Provenientes De Una Planta Desalinizadora en Sonora, México

Dévora-Isiordia

Lizárraga

Weihs

et al. 2017

Rev. Int. Contam. Ambie.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, the exact values should be calculated for the ambient and operating conditions over the course of a year in order to make reliable predictions. A discharge calculator which computes the effluent properties at the discharge point is currently under development within the MEDRC-funded project BrineDis [168]. It allows the input of up to three different effluents, which are merged at the discharge point, to allow for the blending of concentrate with wastewater or cooling water.…”

Section: Salinity Temperature and Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, a "combined approach" requires a regulatory mixing zone definition which takes the characteristics of the water body into account. In order to meet mixing zone regulations, properly sited outfalls with optimized high efficiency mixing designs are typically needed [168].…”

Section: Residual Biocidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of an Environmental Impact Assessment and Decision Support System for Seawater Desalination Plants

Lattemann¹

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…For new desalination plants, basic knowledge of the resulting concentration distributions allows for an impact assessment and design optimization. The concentration distribution depends on the sitting of the outfall, the amount of mixing and the transport capacities of the prevailing currents [9]. On the other hand, for an existing desalination plant, a typical environmental impact assessment and mitigation procedures would involve outfall site characterization and modeling approach to improve the design of the discharge such that effluent impacts are minimized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the Outfall Area of a Multi-Stage-Flash Desalination Plant in Bahrain

Al-Zubari¹,

El‐Sadek²,

Khadim³

2018

JWARP

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Bahrain, like the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, desalination is inevitable to meet the escalating municipal water demands. However, desalination is associated with many environmental effects, which need to be minimized to their lowest possible limits. One of the major environmental concerns of desalination in the Arabian Gulf region is the local and regional effects of the outfall areas on the marine environment. In this study, the outfall area of a government-owned MSF desalination plant is characterized in terms of temperature and salinity. The spatial extent of the plume of the desalination plant's effluent is mapped by a field survey conducted during the winter season around the plant's outfall area at 25 cm and 1 m below the water surface and at low and high tide. The results of the characterization indicated that the temperature of the brine discharged to the outfall was 37˚C, higher than the ambient seawater temperature by 16.5˚C at high tide and 17.5˚C at low tide, and that the extent of the mixing zone area was found at about 260 m and 1 km from the outfall point at high tide and low tide, respectively. The results also showed that brine thermal discharge is not in compliance with the standard limits (<3˚C from ambient within 100 m of shoreline) both at high and low tides with differences reaching more than 10˚C. In terms of salinity, the brine discharged salinity was 56.2 parts per trillion (ppt) compared to an ambient seawater salinity of 43.2 ppt. The maximum salinity measured near the outfall point was 56 ppt at low tide and 51 ppt at high tide, both at 1 m below the surface water column. It is found that the current design structure consisting of two jetties to isolate the desalination plant outfall area from its surroundings is not environmentally sound, as the current surface/inter-tidal outfall location is susceptible to significant increases in salinity and temperature around the outfall area due to the limited flushing it experiences. Therefore, the current design of the outfall area needs to be reviewed to ensure meeting brine discharge regulations and mitigate its impact on the surrounding marine area. The spatial extent of the brine plume can be minimized by building a discharge area further offshore at a sub-tidal location where turbulent flow exists to minimize the spatial extent and intensity of the brine plume. It is recommended that this characterization be extended to all desalination plants in Bahrain, and a regular monitoring program, which should also include selected biological communities and organisms of ecological relevance, be established around the desalination plants outfall areas.

show abstract

Modelling and environmentally sound management of brine discharges from desalination plants

Cited by 125 publications

References 12 publications

Comparación De Métodos De Descarga Para Vertidos De Salmueras, Provenientes De Una Planta Desalinizadora en Sonora, México

Comparación De Métodos De Descarga Para Vertidos De Salmueras, Provenientes De Una Planta Desalinizadora en Sonora, México

Development of an Environmental Impact Assessment and Decision Support System for Seawater Desalination Plants

Characterization of the Outfall Area of a Multi-Stage-Flash Desalination Plant in Bahrain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About