Today there are 16,000 desalination plants in operation converting sea water into fresh water for countries beset by water insecurity. Finally the United Nations is reporting what critics have known for years - these plants are an ecological nightmare.
In addition to the energy they consume, often generated from fossil fuels, it's the waste product, the brine, that is devastating.
Desalination plants release 142 million cubic meters of salty brine every day, 50 percent more brine than formerly estimated. Brine is water containing large amounts of salt and often includes chemicals such as chlorine and copper used in desalination. The salty brine is mostly released into the sea.
Edward Jones is the lead writer of the report. He explains that brine can cut oxygen levels in seawater and cause serious harm to sea animals, including shellfish. This harm leads to observable damage throughout the food chain.
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