As the world’s population continues to grow exponentially, so too does the demand for fresh water. A multitude of industrial, agricultural and domestic uses call for the resource, straining supplies and depleting reserves. The process of desalination, in which salt and other minerals are removed from sea water, is a crucial remedy for this dilemma, and a recent study indicates a rapid increase in such projects around the world. According to Pike Research, a global market-analysis firm in Boulder, Colorado, worldwide investments in desalination projects are projected to double by 2016, rising from $8.3 billion to $16.6 billion annually. The projects are fueled in part by steadily decreasing costs to operate the plants. Not surprisingly, the hottest, driest regions of the globe will continue to lead the way in construction, with the Middle East and North African countries topping the list. Methods of removing salt from sea water include reverse osmosis, heat distillation, and ion extraction.
Full story at EcoSeed.
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