Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume I and II

196 DESALINATION

Table 1 gives the total dissolved salt of various oceans

and closed seas. Over seventy elements have been detected

in seawater, some in very small to trace amounts. Their pro-

portion in all oceans, independent of their concentration, is

almost stable.^4

The four main metals—sodium, magnesium, calcium

and potassium—and their combining ions, chlorides, includ-

ing the other halogens and bicarbonates, are presented in

amounts beyond comprehension. In Table 2 are given the

major and the minor elements in seawater.

FIGURE 1 Panoramic view of the Al-Jubail Saudi Arabia, phase II, MSF desalination plant. It is up to now the World

largest desalination installation totaling a capacity of 947,000 m^3 /d (250 Mgd) fresh water production. Each unit has a

capacity of 23,500 m^3 /d (6.2 Mgd). The plant was built for the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, of Saudi Arabia

by the Japanese Companies of Sasakura and Mitsubishi. (Courtesy Sasakura Engineering Co., Japan)

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