IMPACTS OF SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF PERSIAN GULF

Global population growth and economic development have resulted to a future of increased demand, competition, and cost for limited freshwater supplies. Rising water demands and diminishing water supplies in most regions of the world have resulted to water scarcity. Water Scarcity has created new challenges for energy supply because coal, oil, gas, and electricity production can require massive amounts of freshwater. While conventional approaches relying on rainfall, river runoff and exploitation of underground water resources in water scarce areas are no longer sufficient to meet human demands for domestic purposes, industry, and irrigation. Therefore, many countries will need more energy for energy-intensive water treatment options, like seawater desalination, to meet their growing demand for water. While, decreasing the energy requirements and infrastructural costs of existing desalination technologies is also a persent and future challenge. Unconventional water resources, such as desalinated water, are expected to play a key role in narrowing the water demand-supply gap. There are ۱۵,۹۰۶ operational desalination plants producing ۹۵.۴ million m۳/d of desalinated water for human use, of which ۴۸% is produced in the Middle East and North Africa region. [۱] A major challenge associated with desalination technologies is the production of a typically hypersaline concentrate (brine) discharge that requires disposal, which is both costly and associated with negative environmental impacts. Global brine production is estimated to be around ۱۴۲ million m۳/d in ۲۰۱۸. [۱] Brine production in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar accounts for ۵۵% of the total global share. [۱] Innovation and improved brine management strategies are required to limit the negative environmental impacts and reduce the economic cost of disposal, thereby stimulating further developments in desalination facilities to safeguard water supplies for current and future generations. Desalination is any process of removing salt and minerals from saline or brackish water by means of one or more processes to produce potable water. Desalination technologies may have a vital role in the future life of human, so the installed desalination plants capacity worldwide has been increasing continuously by annual growth of about ۹%. [۲] Desalination technologies like any other technology may have adverse effects on environment, especially in the Persian Gulf region. This challenge is reviewed in this paper.