MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered device that avoids the salt-clogging issues of other designs. Engineers at MIT and in China are aiming to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive device that is inspired by the ocean, and powered by the sun. In a pap
  • ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.worldEnglish
    82·
    1 year ago

    If the brine was used for salt production. That would offset the effects to the local environment. As salt and water are being removed.

    • UrPartnerInCrime@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think you realize just how much salt that’s going to be. Plus the brine they get afterwards isn’t just pure salt. It has contaminates including sea life. So there’s a lot more process to making usable salt.

      Also, these seem generally cheap to produce so the chances of smaller cities and vilages to obtain one is pretty high. So even if salt was able to easily able to be gathered from this process, there’s going to be a lot of excess salt lying around.

      Desalination seems great on the surface, but until we have a solution for brine it’s going to be another technology that will only hurt us in the long run.