Desalination Plants
Salt Water becomes Fresh Water!
What is Desalination?
Desalination is the process where salty water is turned into fresh water. There is only about 0.4% of Earth's water is liquid fresh water. Scientist came up with a process that turns salt water into fresh water. They use osmosis across a membrane with tube-like pores called nano tubes. Water particles can easily pass through the little nano tubes, but salt particles and other large non-water particles cannot.
Desalination Plant
This is the process of Desalination
Materials
Thermal energy is used to evaporate the water. The sun helps to evaporate the salt from the water.
How does Desalination effect the enviroment?
Sea creatures will die if they keep taking salt water and making it into fresh water. The sea creatures die because they get caught in the intake screen. This process also requires a high amount of energy.
How does Desalination effect people?
People rely on desalination heavily to provide water to areas that do not have enough water. This process will also cost a lot of money. This is also a source of water for people that don't have any.
How does Desalination effect water?
This process of desalination has the potential to make sea water more salty, especially in the areas where the plants are located. It is twice as salty as normal sea water. The process also requires a high amount of energy.
What are the Long Term effects of Desalination?
There will be potential impacts on existing Sea Water, by making it more salty. There will also be potential impact to sea creatures that are living near the plants.
Interesting Facts
There is 13,000 plants that provide fresh water to 120 countries! A desalination plant located in San Diego, open for 29 days, produced 1.5 billion gallons of fresh water!
Where to Find Information
Science & Technology Textbook