Method 2: Reverse Osmosis
Background Info:

Osmosis refers to the flow of water from one solution to another across a semipermeable membrane
When 2 solutions are separated by a semipermeable membrane, water will naturally move from a solution with low solute concentration to a solution with a high solute concentration

Reverse Osmosis:

Using the osmosis theory, but have to reverse it to get desirable effects (i.e. move from a solution with a high solute concentration to a solution with low solute concentration)
Must use pressure to disrupt the natural flow of osmosis
Semipermeable membrane has microscopic pores that are only big enough for water molecules to pass through
To maximize the desalination process, the semipermeable membrane is coiled inside a cylindrical pressurized vessel

Pros:

Cons:

Membranes must be cleaned to reduce build up of salts, and cleaning chemicals may enter the environment
Bacteria can breed on membranes
Expensive process

	Created by IBMichelle over 10 years ago

IB Chemistry (E: Environmental Science (UNMODIFIED)) Note on E6: Water Treatment (UNMODIFIED), created by IBMichelle on 07/04/2014.