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Brine is water with high concentrations of salt. Production, storage, and usage of brine require expertise. It is used in various industrial processes. Brine for industrial tanks is used in multiple applications. Notably, high brine concentrations in effluents must be treated before it is released.
Food Industry
Brine is added to food to prevent decay and also softens it. When meals are prepared in industries, brine is produced. It has to be treated before it is released. Brine is used to preserving foods like meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Textile Dyeing Houses
Pollutants are released in the water during the textile dyeing process. One of the advantages of using brine in the textile industry is that it reduces pollution more so in dyeing cotton. Law-molecular-weight salt (LMWS) is used as an auxiliary agent. The reduced pollution is advantageous to the environment as the brine water is reused.
Water Treatment
Brine is not toxic, but water has to be treated before being released. This helps in removing hard materials in water, such as calcium and other ions that cause hardness. Apart from keeping the environment from being polluted, it is an economical way to treat water. The products released after treatment are easy to manage.
Municipalities
Municipal landfills produce leachates that are harmful and require treatment before being released. If discharged before treatment, it is detrimental to the environment. During treatment, all the waste that contained brine at the origin is released from the leachate.
Leather Industry
In the leather industry, both the products used and released are highly contaminant. In tanning and softening, animal skins, sodium chloride, sodium sulfite, and sodium carbonate are used. Other salts used are sodium hydroxide and caustic soda, among others. Some of these salts are used in drying, lubrication, fishing, and conditioning. All the components used are discharged through wastewater. However, even after the treatment of effluents, they remain with high salt concentration.
Gas and Oil Industry
While recovering oil and gas, there is a production of brine. Oil is mined near rock salts. After the oil is drilled, it is then displaced to the surface through the injection of brine. As to avoid contaminating the environment, the excess brine must be treated before it is released.
Chemical Industry
In the chemical industry, fire and heat are used. The chemicals released are also hazardous to the environment. Brine is used in cooling these fluids before they are released; moreover, it is economical and has low toxicity.
Power Generation Plants
In power plants, a lot of water is used, which later becomes wastewater. The wastewater carries a lot of impurities that are a threat to the environment. They have a high concentration of salts; thus, they must be treated before they are discharged.
Desalination of Seawater
Seawater has high concentrations of salt. Technology is used to desalinate seawater to drinking water. In any process used, brine steam is always produced, and it has to be managed to avoid polluting the environment.
Brine is used widely, though it might not be toxic, it is a threat to marine life. Therefore, all effluents must be taken care of before they are discharged.
