In ancient times, the world provided
living things with sufficient amount of potable water through freshwater ponds,
lakes, and streams among others. Unfortunately, the rapid surge of population
growth and environmental damage greatly reduced such availability of drinkable
water, thereby pushing man to find ways on how to maximize other water sources.
According to the United Nations, around
1.8 billion individuals are predicted to live in areas with scarce water supplies
by 2025. Increasing industrial demand, droughts, and population growth are
primary contributors of water shortages in the world.
It was late President
John Kennedy who once proposed to obtain freshwater from saline water, but at
the most economical way possible. The breakthrough happened in 1960 when
researchers of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) discovered the
first membrane material now used in desalination plants.
Such membrane is used
in the process known as reverse osmosis (RO), which is basically the opposite
of natural osmosis. Osmosis is the process that keeps your body from
dehydration as it achieves a state of equilibrium between high and low
concentrated solutions. The contrary happens in RO systems.
Rather than achieving
equilibrium, only the concentrated water is forced through the other side to
leave behind large particles (i.e. salt molecules). The highly concentrated solution
(e.g. saltwater, brackish water) is completely diluted and converted into
fresh, drinking water.
This process is suitable
in coastal areas or locales near oceans such as California, which currently has
more than 20 small desalination plants across the state.
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