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The Disadvantages of Seawater Desalination at the Bousfer Station Located on the Oran Coast in Western Algeria

Kassouar Scheherazede, Abi-Ayad Sidi Mohammed El-Amine

Journal of Ecological Engineering

2024

Vol. 25, nr 6

221--230

Securing sustainable access to water resources is a critical concern for all nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and Algeria is no exception. Leveraging its extensive 1,200–kilometer coastline, Algeria has embraced desalination as a key strategy, treating both seawater and brackish water sources. This approach provides potable water to inland towns and cities, extending as far as 60 kilometers from the coast. Currently, Algeria boasts an impressive network of 21 desalination plants, with a combined daily production capacity of 2.6 million cubic meters. The majority of these facilities utilize reverse osmosis, a widely employed desalination technology. This study focused on the Bousfer mini-desalination plant situated on Algeria’s western coast. Various water samples were analyzed throughout the desalination process: seawater intake, post-desalination (osmosis) water, remineralized drinking water, and the resulting brine wastewater. A physicochemical and bacteriological analysis was conducted to assess water quality at each stage. Statistical comparisons were performed using paired-sample T-tests for seawater and osmosis water, and one-sample T-tests were used to compare drinking water and wastewater against established international standards. The analysis revealed significant reductions (p-value<0.001) in most physicochemical parameters for the reverse osmosis water, including conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, total hardness, chlorides, calcium, and magnesium. Conversely, these parameters were significantly elevated in the brine wastewater. The bacteriological analysis confirmed the absence of harmful bacteria like E. coli, enterococci, and sulphite-reducing clostridia in the final drinking water. However, this study also highlighted a negative environmental externality, the presence of debris and foam layers on the water surface near the desalination plant outlet, attributed to chemical discharges, which poses a potential nuisance for tourists visiting nearby Bousfer beaches.

The Impact of Brine Discharge on Sea Urchins, Case Study of the Bousfer Desalination Plant in West Algeria

Kassouar Scheherazede, El Amine Abiayad Sidi Mohamed

Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology

2024

Vol. 25, iss. 11

102--109

This study investigated the potential impact of discharged water from the Bousfer desalination plant in Algeria on the marine environment, with a focus on sea urchins that we found overpopulated in the brine discharge area. To assess the presence of heavy metals, which can pose significant ecological and health risks, water samples were collected from the discharge area and analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The targeted metals included iron, copper, zinc, nickel, and chromium. The results indicated extremely low concentrations of these metals, with values ranging from ≤ 0.001 to ≤ 0.01 mg/L. This research is the first of its kind at the Bousfer desalination plant and this site was chosen because this station is scheduled to be replaced by a much larger plant. This study suggests that the levels of heavy metals detected in discharged waters are insufficient to pose a direct threat to sea urchins or humans who consume them. However, given the potential for long-term and cumulative effects, further in-depth studies are needed to assess the overall environmental impact of discharged waters on marine ecosystems, including benthic fauna.