%0 Journal Article
%T Solar-Driven Water Treatment: New Technologies, Challenges, and Futures
%A Djamel Ghernaout
%A Sara Irki
%A Noureddine Elboughdiri
%A Badia Ghernaout
%J Green and Sustainable Chemistry
%P 110-152
%@ 2160-696X
%D 2023
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/gsc.2023.132007
%X In this review, the new solar water treatment technologies, including
solar water desalination in two direct and indirect methods, are
comprehensively presented. Recent advances and applications of five major solar
desalination technologies include solar-powered
humidification¨Cdehumidification, multi-stage flash desalination, multi-effect
desalination, RO, and solar stills. Each technology¡¯s productivity, energy
consumption, and water production costs are presented. Also, common methods of
solar water disinfection have been reviewed as one of the common and low-cost
methods of water treatment, especially in areas with no access to drinking
water. However, although desalination technologies have many social, economic,
and public health benefits, they are energy-intensive and negatively affect the
environment. In addition, the disposal of brine from the desalination processes
is one of the most challenging and costly issues. In this regard, the
environmental effects of desalination technologies are presented and discussed.
Among direct solar water desalination technologies, solar still technology is a
low-cost, low-tech, and low-investment method suitable for remote areas,
especially in developing countries with low financial support and access to
skilled workers. Indirect solar-driven water desalination technologies, including
thermal and membrane technologies, are more reliable and technically more
mature. Recently, RO technology has received particular attention thanks to its
lower energy demand, lower cost, and available solutions to increase membrane
durability. Disposal of brines can account for much of the water cost and
potentially negatively affect the environment. Therefore, in addition to
efforts to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar technologies and
water treatment processes, future research studies should consider developing
new solutions to this issue.
%K Renewable Energy (RE)
%K Solar-Driven Desalination
%K Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS)
%K Brine
%K Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)
%K Reverse Osmosis (RO)
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=125061