Better Desal Technology Can Help World's Fresh Water Shortage

The Science Daily (8/5) reported that as one-third of the world faces a lack of fresh water, "a new Yale University study argues that seawater desalination should play an important role in helping combat worldwide fresh water shortages -- once conservation, reuse and other methods have been exhausted -- and provides insight into how desalination technology can be made more affordable and energy efficient." According to Menachem Elimelech, a professor of chemical and environmental engineering at Yale, and William Phillip, now with Notre Dame, the new study demonstrates "that reverse osmosis requires a minimum amount of energy that cannot be overcome, and that current technology is already starting to approach that limit." Elimelech and Phillip believe gains in efficiency can be made during desal's pre- and post-treatment stages. The men also believe that "a membrane capable of filtering out boron and chloride would result in substantial energy and cost savings. Read more: http://j.mp/qZi3zd Courtesy of AquaNexus Daily Briefing: http://aquanexus.com Photo: Brad Doherty / AP

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• Technology
• Desalination