ABSTRACT
Recent reports and various publications have identi‡ed the importance of clean water for not only public health, but also for energy and security needs.1-4 Consider the following statistics that present a sobering picture for the current state of water supplies and the importance for advancing the science and technology to increase freshwater supplies. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) reports, nearly 2.4 million people die every year due to contaminated water, and a child under the age of 5 dies every 20 s. The most common waterborne diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide, are malaria, cholera,
CONTENTS
19.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................365 19.2 Review of Existing Water Desalination Methods ....................................................... 367
19.2.1 Theoretical Minimum Energy Requirement for Water Desalination ........ 367 19.2.2 Challenges to Desalination Processes ............................................................ 367 19.2.3 Common Separation Methods .........................................................................368
