Seawater desalination technologies have faced criticism for their environmental unfriendliness and high costs. Recent research has focused on developing more sustainable and affordable desalination methods. Some promising avenues explored include using new membrane materials like graphene to increase efficiency, improving wastewater management to lessen marine impacts, experimenting with alternative processes like forward osmosis, and making plants solar-powered to reduce electricity needs. Further innovation is needed as global desalination capacity continues expanding rapidly.

1. IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEAWATER DESALINATION
TECHNOLOGIES

2. EVER SINCE SEAWATER DESALINATION WAS BROUGHT
INTO QUESTION FOR ITS UNSUSTAINABLE METHODS OF
GENERATING DRINKING WATER, STUDIES HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO GET HOLD OF INVENTIONS TO GET IT OUT OF
IT. THE TECHNOLOGY, THOUGH A REASONABLE OPTION
FOR MANY COUNTRIES, IS STILL NOT ENVIRONMENT OR
POCKET-FRIENDLY.

3. THE DESALINATION PLANTS AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE
BEEN SENDING REJECTED RO WATER INTO THE SEAS,
THREATENING THE MARINE LIFE. THE AMOUNT OF
ELECTRICITY REQUIRED TO RUN SUCH A PLANT PER YEAR
EQUALS LIGHTING 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS FOR A YEAR. THE
COST OF MAINTENANCE AND THE AIR POLLUTION
CANNOT EVEN BE DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW.

4. IT WAS THEREFORE HIGH TIME FOR COMPANIES AROUND
THE WORLD TO START SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF GREENER AND CHEAPER
TECHNOLOGIES. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS THAT HAVE COME
FORWARD IN THE PAST FEW YEARS:

5. MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY:
• CHANGES HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED TO MAKE THE MEMBRANE MORE EFFICIENT
THAN IT IS NOW WITH ULTRA PERMEABILITY. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH
MANY WAYS AND INTRODUCING GRAPHENE SIEVES HAS BEEN TAKING THE CAKE
SO FAR. NOT ONLY THIS BUT AN IDEA OF INDUCING THE MEMBRANE WITH
ANTI-SCALING ELEMENTS IS ALSO A GOOD WAY TO PREVENT THE MEMBRANE
FROM SCALING, THEREFORE, IMPROVING ITS SHELF LIFE.

6. WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT:
• IT IS DONE BY MANY INDUSTRIES AS A PROTOCOL TO BE FOLLOWED. BUT
SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANTS ARE IN NEED OF IT AS THE BRINE, WHICH IS
REJECTED REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER IS RELEASED, IT IS MORE HARMFUL TO THE
MARINE LIFE THAN EVER BEFORE. THE WASTE PRODUCT HAS MORE AND MORE
CONCENTRATION OF SALTS THAN THE SEAS AND SO MUST BE TREATED TO
BALANCE THE CONCENTRATION AMOUNTS BEFORE RELEASE. THE SURROUNDING
AREAS WHERE IT IS RELEASED CAN SEND FLORA AND FAUNA TO THE STAGE OF
EXTINCTION IF NOTHING IS DONE.

7. PROCESS CHANGE:
• A SUGGESTION HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO UPGRADE OR IMPROVE THE METHOD
OF RO BY USING FORWARD OSMOSIS, ELECTRO DIALYSIS OR PRESSURE REVERSE
OSMOSIS TO DRIVE THE PROCESS. THOUGH IT HAS REMAINED IN RESEARCH
STAGE THE STUDY REPORTS HAVE SHOWN IMMENSE PROMISE AND PROBABLY
CAN CHANGE THE WAY DESALINATION IS DONE TODAY.

8. SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION PLANTS:
• IT IS THE BEST GREEN SOLUTION TO THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION ISSUE OF
THE PLANT. THOUGH IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF INVESTMENT AND THERE IS NO
SCALABLE WORK DONE ON THE TOPIC, IT IS A STEP TOWARDS BUILDING A
SUSTAINABLE PLANT THAT WORKS ON ITS OWN. PROBABLY WHY MANY PLANTS
HAVE ALREADY STARTED INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS IN THEIR
INFRASTRUCTURES.

9. THESE ARE SOME VERY INNOVATIVE AND BEST SOLUTIONS
TO THE PROBLEMS WE ARE FACING TODAY IN
DESALINATION INDUSTRY. TODAY, THERE ARE 18,500
PLANTS AND GROWING NUMBER AROUND THE WORLD. IF
A SUITABLE SOLUTION IS NOT FOUND BEFORE THE RAPID
INCREASE, WE MAY FACE THE SAME QUESTION OF WATER
WHICH WE ARE STILL FACING TODAY.