desalination

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the process of removing dissolved salts and other minerals from seawater or brackish water to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption, irrigation, or industrial use; the two principal technologies are thermal distillation, in which saline water is heated to produce water vapour that is condensed as fresh water, and membrane-based reverse osmosis, in which high pressure forces saline water through semi-permeable membranes that reject salt ions while allowing water molecules to pass; desalination has expanded rapidly in water-scarce regions including the Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Australia, and California, driven by declining reverse osmosis membrane costs, but remains energy-intensive and generates concentrated brine that must be managed to avoid marine ecosystem harm