Evaporation ponds are artificialponds with very large surface areas that are designed to efficientlyevaporate water bysunlight and expose water to theambient temperatures.[1] Evaporation ponds are inexpensive to design making them ideal for multiple purposes such aswastewater treatment processes, storage, andextraction of minerals.[2][3] Evaporation ponds differ in purpose and may result in a wide range ofenvironmental andhealth effects.[2]
Salt evaporation ponds producesalt fromseawater.[4] Evaporation ponds are used to extractlithium from underground brine solution. The extracted Lithium is then used to make ion batteries.[5][3]Mines use them to separateore from water. The ore can be sold for use in different industries.[3] Potash evaporation ponds are used to extractpotassium from the mineral rich solution. The potassium extracted is used for products likefertilizer.[6]
Evaporation ponds are also used to dispose ofbrine fromdesalination plants.[4] Evaporation ponds atcontaminated sites remove the water fromhazardous waste, which reduces its weight and volume and allows it to be more easily transported and stored.[3][4] Evaporation ponds are used to prevent run off agricultural wastewater contaminants likepesticides,fertilizers andsalts from entering bodies of water they would normally flow into.[2]
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Location of the evaporation pond should be considered for optimal results. Evaporation will be higher in places with high amounts ofsolar radiation, high temperatures, and lowwind levels. Since evaporation ponds operate best with greater surface area of evaporation, large amount of land is required, so low quality, low cost land is better[2]A shallow pond covering greater surface area will result in faster rates of evaporation.[2]
An evaporation pond hasshallow depths and, to preventcontamination of the environment from its content, a range of pond liners are used, categorized asgeomembrane, constructedbentonite clay, or naturalclay.[7] Each pond liner is prone toleakage and requires regular maintenance.[2] The contents of the evaporation pond depend on the use, the evaporation pond will containwater and the desired contents hoping to beextracted. The desired contents range fromwaste tominerals, and the remaining contents are either stored or extracted.[2]
Evaporation ponds, when notmaintained, may leakcontaminated contents into the environment which directly effect human and animal health.[2] The contents within the evaporation pond can be found to contaminate surrounding soil and surrounding water sources. Contaminated water can contain sources of chemicals and hard metals likeselenium which in accumulation can betoxic when ingested by humans or animals.[2][8] Employees working directly with the evaporation ponds may experience acute health conditions like dry skin andirritation from close contact of contents within the pond.[2]
Evaporation ponds pose a threat toenvironmental sustainability because resources like water, land, and minerals are rapidly used at large scales. These resources are limited in nature. An increasing demand for extracted products and treated wastewater will result in evaporation ponds expanding and related issues worsening until the depletion of these resources.[2] Evaporation ponds are found to increasegreen house gas emissions and therefore contribute to environmental issues like warming of the planet andocean acidification. As the pond evaporates, it carries with itvolatile pollutants into the air.[2]
Advancing technology has made evaporation pond design and implementation more effective. With new resources such as fabric evaporations for salt-tolerant plants, the ponds' costs and environmental impacts can be mediated.[9]
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