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Interesting: 10 Uses for Graphene.
Posted on 10/04/2019 7:57:23 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Removing salts from brackish water using graphene-based membranes is being conducted by researchers from the University of Manchester and Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, in a bid to tackle water scarcity.
Reverse osmosis, which requires large quantities of water to be forced through a membrane, is a popular method to remove high content of salts; however, bodies of brackish water, with lower salt content, require more efficient methods.
The team of researchers developed new ion-selective membranes incorporating graphene oxide, for use in electromembrane desalination processes such as electrodialysis and membrane capacitive deionisation, which drives ions in saltwater out using an electric field.
(Excerpt) Read more at labmate-online.com ...
Can’t have graphene.
It comes from carbon.
The tech on this just keeps getting closer to economic feasability. Think of the amazing progress that has come in the last 60 years (we have gone to almost NO ONE in dire poverty, vs the majority in dire poverty), and then think what would become of things if huge swathes of desert became arable.
Paul Ehrlich must be having conniptions.
Thank you for posting.
Huge swaths of desert becoming arable would be incredible for many people. However, we MUST consider the destruction of that habitat for the sand dune lizard, the lesser subsahara dung beetle, and the thorny bramble berry bush. Eco warriors will have a field day.
This is the graphene ping list.
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Interesting: 10 Uses for Graphene.
Yes, that’s the big promise of graphene.
The result of graphene being optimized will be that all the world’s deserts will be turned green and the habitable size of earth will double.
Add to your concerns the megatons of mineral salts that would be the waste byproduct of desalinization on the scale being considered here.
- Seawater = water + dissolved minerals (major qtys);
- Fresh water = water + dissolved minerals (minor amts) ;
- Farming runoff = water + dissolved agricultural chemicals + minerals leached from the soil.
- Outflow into the ocean from lands irrigated with desalinated ocean water = water + dissolved agricultural chemicals + minerals leached from the soil + oceanic minerals reinserted for disposal.
And then you have the cities:
Urban runoff = water + dissolved...everything.
Of course, sewage is treated to extract contaminates prior to being released into waterways or the ocean. But the process isn’t perfect, and instead there are established acceptable levels for various pollutants (of which there are many):
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=acceptable+pollution+levels+in+water&t=iphone&ia=web
One could argue that, as far as the minerals extracted during desalinization are concerned, putting them back into the waterways is a net zero change. This position ignores the effects of concentrated release on the immediate environment downstream. And, of course, all the new additions arising from activities on land made possible by this new source of water need to be considered as well.
Ironically, the lack of water in this region may have been the spark that prompted the rise of civilization in the “Fertile Crescent” to begin with:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/07/990712080500.htm
Fortunately, there are no human fingerprints on these events.
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