Desalination is a relatively new technology that seems like a promising method to relieve fresh water shortages experienced by many areas around the world. While many people support desalination and believe it will resolve our demand for clean water, others oppose it which is understandable considering there’s virtually no long-term research how desalination affects the environment. Despite the lack of research, experts have already identified several ways desalination inevitably changes the environment:

• Intake pipes: Desalination plants can kill fish and other marine life from the intake pipes that suck seawater into the plant.

• Brine: A concentrated brine must be disposed after the desalination process, and is usually disposed of in coastal waters or estuaries near the plant. The salinity of the brine often disrupts sensitive coastal ecosystems.

• Boron: Boron is in seawater at concentrations of 4-7mg/L, usually isn’t completely removed by desalination and can affect consumers health. However, the most recent desalination plants with improved technology can remove most of the boron at an increased price.

• Carbon footprint: Desalination is so energy-intensive it produces significant amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Anisfeld, Shimon C. Water Resources. Washington: Island, 2010. Print.

Miller, Sydney, Hilla Shemer, and Raphael Semiat. "Energy and Environmental Issues in Desalination." Desalination 366 (2015): 2-8. Web.