Desalination is a quality solution to water scarcity. But it does provide a byproduct, salt, which can harm marine life if returned to the ocean. A team of researchers at UCLA hopes to tackle this problem with a new process they call RO-PRO..
Researchers are currently working on a prototype RO-PRO device in California. The development will potentially reduce the cost of desalination and reduce the environmental impact.
Desalination plants typically use reverse osmosis, a process that pushes salt water through a membrane that purifies it into drinking water. But this is not only an energy-intensive and expensive method, but also a method harmful to nature..
The RO-PRO system differs in that it uses several types of osmosis and the process itself partially feeds its work, using 30% less energy than traditional desalination methods. The system also returns diluted salt water to marine sources rather than salt, which reduces environmental impact.
After the system is complete, it will be placed for testing in a place called Samoa, California, where the waters from the Mad River drain into the Pacific Ocean. Scientists will test the effectiveness of the device in order to further introduce it for widespread use. After that, they plan to incorporate the technology into existing desalination plants in the United States..
