Question

Which are negative effects of desalination plants in the Middle East? Check all that apply. producing too much water that goes unused in the region taking a large amount of energy to start and operate causing conflicts between countries over development rights releasing dangerous chemicals into the environment adding a high concentration of salt back into the ocean taking up too much valuable real estate along the ocea

Answer 1

Question: Which are negative effects of desalination plants in the Middle East? Check all that apply.

Options:

• producing too much water that goes unused in the region
• taking a large amount of energy to start and operate
• causing conflicts between countries over development rights
• releasing dangerous chemicals into the environment
• adding a high concentration of salt back into the ocean
• taking up too much valuable real estate along the ocean

Answer:

• adding a high concentration of salt back into the ocean.

• releasing dangerous chemicals into the environment.

• taking a large amount of energy to start and operate.

Explanation:

It is well known that 70% of the world's desalination plants are found in the Middle East.

One of the effects of desalination plants is that it adds a high concentration of salt back into the ocean. Desalination can have significant negative impacts on the environment. Seawater desalination constantly discharges salt on coastal or marine ecosystems, this discharge is known as brine. Rivers, aquifers and soil are polluted by plants treating brackish water. A considerable amount of desalination takes place on its shores of the Persian Gulf since it is a small and enclosed.

Another effect is that it releases dangerous chemicals into the environment. The process of desalination uses and produces many chemicals. Some of these chemicals are: Chlorine, carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid and anti-scalents. These can be harmful in high concentrations and impacts the environment in a negative way.  

Last but not least, it effects in taking a large amount of energy to start and operate. Once the desalination plant is operational, it will require a huge amount of energy. Energy cost is a very large portion of the total cost of desalination. So much is its impact, that if one cent increases in the cost of a kilowatt-hour of energy, this will raise the cost of one acre-foot of desalinated water by 50 dollars.    

Answer 2

The correct answers are B, D and E.