Desalination is a process that removes dissolved minerals including but not limited to salt from seawater, brackish water, or treated wastewater. A number of technologies have been developed for desalination, including reverse osmosis RO , distillation, electrodialysis, and vacuum freezing. So why is seawater such an attractive water resource that we go through all those costly process to make it safe to drink?
Here are a few reasons Seawater provides an unlimited, reliable water supply for coastal populations worldwide; brackish water is a plentiful, relatively drought-proof water resource for inland populations and reduces dependency on imported water. And, of all the Earth's water, 97 percent is salt water, only 1 percent is fresh water available for humans to drink, and 2 percent is frozen. To date, only a limited number of desalination plants have been built along the California coast, primarily because the cost of desalination is generally higher than the costs of other water supply alternatives available in California e.
However, as drought conditions occur and concern over water availability increases, desalination projects are being proposed at numerous locations in the state. Desalination costs are decreasing as technology improves and more plants are built. Today there are more than 15, desalination plants in countries. About half of the world's desalted water is produced with heat to distill fresh water from seawater. Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American.
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So why don't we desalinate more to alleviate shortages and growing water conflicts? So how is energy used to separate salt from water?
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Lag Jan 26, Jan 26, DJ Jan 26, Blayz Jan 25, Awesome wonder isnt salt water sour? Jan 25, Karter Jan 24, I've accidentally drank salt water while swimming. Andy Jan 23, But I saw on TV a fish open its mouth and it didn't die.
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Emma Chen Jan 23, The salt water has a lot of salt and our body cannot handle that much salt. Good point, Emma! Thanks for sharing what you learned! Salts not good for you. Jan 23, It does make french fries taste better and icy walkways safer, that's for sure. Thanks, Jams! We don't drink slat water because it will make us sic. Thanks for checking out this Wonder, Noah! David Jan 23, After reading this all I can think about is salty salty salty water!
Its horrible when you swallow sea water when you are swimming. Carmen Wessel Jan 27, Caleb Dean Jan 23, NightX Gaming Jan 23, I always wonder about this.. Thanks for the info!! Adam Jan 23, Jamarian Jan 23, What's up, Jamarian? How did you like today's Wonder of the Day? Sebastian Martin Jan 23, We aren't saying, Sebastian. Jack Jan 23, Awesome, Jack! Thanks for checking it out. Ian Jan 23, What if we heat up the saltwater then can we drink it?
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