Australian Researchers Aim for Greener Desalination

 　　Researchers in Sydney are leading a new international effort to make desalination¹ more environmentally friendly. Current techniques tend to use excessive amounts of energy or are heavily reliant on chemicals. The University of Technology in Sydney is working with teams from Singapore, Saudi Arabia and South Korea to improve the filtration process to make it more efficient and gentler on the environment.

　　Removing salt from water

　　Desalination is often seen as an expensive and energy-intensive way to remove salt from water. In Australia - the world’s driest inhabited continent where rainfall has become increasingly erratic² - desalination plants treat seawater that can produce almost half of the supplies needed by the major cities.

　　“There is a significant increase in the trend for the desalination market," explained

　　Professor Vigi Vigneswaran from the University of Technology in Sydney. He says the science has growing international value.

　　"Whether we like it or not, with the global warming problems, the desalination will become a very important technology - one of the important technologies - other than the water reuse and storm water harvesting," Vigneswaran said.

　　New techniques

　　One of the projects that researchers in Sydney are pursuing is improving the membranes⁴ used in pre-treatment systems in desalination plants.

　　These thin films often become clogged⁵, reducing their efficiency and increasing the amount of energy used to take the salt out of seawater.

　　The team in Sydney is developing new biological filters that do not become so congested and will not need chemicals that absorb contaminants.

　　Researcher Christian⁶ Kazner says more effective filtration will cut energy usage.

　　“Membranes are very sensitive to everything which is contained in the water," noted⁷ Kazner. "It will be stopped by the membrane³ and grow on the surface of the membrane, whether it is salts, you have scaling, it is blocked. Or whether it is organic contaminants they really collect on the surface and if you have microbes they can grow on that organic material. As much as you remove those contaminants before you filter it you improve the performance of the membrane, you reduce the energy demand and finally you can extend the lifetime of the membrane.”

　　Forward osmosis

　　While conventional desalination systems rely on a process called reverse osmosis that uses pressure to force water through membranes, work is also being done on an alternative process. Forward osmosis needs far less energy and allows water to effectively be sucked through the filters.

　　Scientists in Sydney believe this method could reduce energy consumption in the desalination process by up to 90 percent.

　　Other projects being developed include mobile salt-removal systems for remote Aboriginal⁸ communities where supplies from groundwater wells are contaminated by high concentrations of saline and nitrates.

　　The aim is to export ideas and innovation overseas, especially smaller desalination units for use in developing countries, where safe and sustainable water supplies remain a distant dream for many.

1 desalination   

n.脱盐(作用)

参考例句：

• Crops can be grown on this land after desalination. 这片土地经过脱盐就可以种植庄稼了。
• One source is by desalination-taking the salt out of salt water to make it drinkable. 淡水的来源之一是使水淡化--把含盐的水中的盐份去掉，使之能够饮用。

2 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

3 membrane   

n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸

参考例句：

• A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
• A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。

4 membranes   

n.（动物或植物体内的）薄膜( membrane的名词复数 )；隔膜；（可起防水、防风等作用的）膜状物

参考例句：

• The waste material is placed in cells with permeable membranes. 废液置于有渗透膜的槽中。 来自辞典例句
• The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a system of intracellular membranes. 肌浆网属于细胞内膜系统。 来自辞典例句

5 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。