Anybody wishing to gain a basic understanding of the issues involved in this most important of technologies need look no further than desalination.com - an environmental primer. The 132-page book by industry experts Tom Pankratz and John Tonner provides a succinct yet comprehensive introduction to the subject, from its history and applications to the various methods and their cost.

With the aid of charts, diagrams and photographs, the authors explain the operation and characteristics of the reverse osmosis (RO) process, which provides more than 50 per cent of global desalination capacity, and the three distillation methods - multi-effect distillation (MED), multi-stage flash (MSF) evaporation and mechanical vapour compression (MVC). The relative efficiency and applicability of the systems are discussed, as are issues of their energy requirements and maintenance.

A separate chapter examines factors that have contributed to the reduction of the capital and operational costs of desalination plants, charting the evolution of project delivery methods from the traditional design-bid-build to alternative approaches incorporating various levels of private-sector participation. This is followed by a profile of 10 desalination projects across the world, including such landmark Middle East projects as the Taweelah A1 and B and Fujairah plants in the UAE.

Fifteen FAQs (frequently asked questions) go into further depth on some of the issues explored, including the measurements of salinity, the relative cost of desalinated brackish water and seawater and a comparison of recovery volumes for RO and thermal processes.

The book concludes with an 18-page glossary providing concise definitions of scientific and technical concepts and industry buzzwords.

desalination.com - an environmental primer by Tom Pankratz and John Tonner is published by Lone Oak Publishing, PO Box 75064, Houston, Texas 77234, US.

CR