The world is largely made up of water, and fundamentally marine water makes the seas/oceans a large habitat for animals and plants. Based upon this discovery, it is paramount to ensure the protection of marine and all other saline water bodies. Currently, the world is facing a problem with the quality and quantity of water. Destruction of the remaining resource could prove fatal for future generations. Brine is concentrated salt, which is an affluent of most production processes. It is usually discharged in large water bodies, something that may cause negative effects and sometimes, positive effects to the environment (Zumerchik & Laurence, 2010, p. 17).
An increase in demand for usable, freshwater is a driving factor for the desalination of water. Once water is desalinated, it is promptly sent for consumption, and the salt obtained from it is then discharged to the sea. This is a common source of concentrated brine. The size and growth of life in the aquatic environment are highly affected by the rate in percentage of the water’s salinity. Animals such as shellfish benefit when the salinity of the water is at high levels due to the impact it has on their shells. Salt acts as a building block, strengthens the shells, and increases the length of most shellfish (Prud’homme, 2011, p. 22). There are also other organisms most of the euryhaline species that are known to tolerate and to adapt to highly saline areas. Most sharks and crabs fall in this category. The increased salt concentration is also important in maintaining equilibrium between water and air, thus, reducing high rates of evaporation, as well as creating a spatial distribution of plants and organisms in the water. High salinity is also partially beneficial as it acts as a balm for common ailments in the organism’s body (Ray & Jain, 2011, p. 33)
There are also some detrimental effects caused by salinity. In stenohaline animals, which are high salt intolerant, it may cause death in extreme cases leading to a drop in the number of aquatic animals. It has been reported that salinity led to the extinction of some species, as well as widespread damage to aquatic plants. This is due to poor salt regulation and control by plants known as osmoregulation (Patin, 1999, p. 45). The salinity effect will also vary depending on the distance of discharge or rather the distance from point of discharge. This is because concentration is diluted as one gets farther from the effluent or discharge source. Survival of the larval stage of animals and their life expectancy is another bone of contention. Most scientists argue that younger individuals are disadvantaged when it comes to growth and development. High salinity means fingerlings and eggs or larval stages die pre-maturely. Mobile and seasonal fishes may also have altered routes as they avoid the saline areas. This will lead to invasion of other organisms’ niches and an increased rate of predation (Neff, 2002, p. 35).
In conclusion, the major or primal impact of brine discharge is the mortality of organisms and plants. This can be reduced by diluting water before releasing it to streams and seas. It is also preventable by advocating for other methods of obtaining water for consumption, like recycling wastewater rather than desalination. As a fact, distributing water evenly across a stretch of water body rather than a point source could be beneficial in diluting the effect of salt on water. Overemphasis on the cure will lead to an omission in procuring a preventable measure. It is better to avoid these effects rather than treat them.
Reference List
Neff, J. (2002). Bioaccumulation in marine organisms: effect of contaminants from oil well produced water. Amsterdam, London Elsevier Publishers.
Patin, S. (1999). Environmental impact of the offshore oil and gas industry East Northport. New York: Eco Monitor Publishers.
Prud’homme, A. (2011). The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Fresh Water in the Twenty-First Century Brooklyn. New York: Simon and Schuster Publishers.
Ray, C., & Jain, R. (2011). Drinking Water Treatment: Focusing on Appropriate Technology and Sustainability. Dordrecht: Springer.
Zumerchik, J., & Laurence, S. (2010). Seas and waterways of the world: an encyclopedia of history, uses, and issues, Vol. 2 Santa Barbara, Calif.: Danver Publisher.