SUSTAINABLE LOW ENERGY DESALINATION OF ROAD SALT RUNOFF USING ION EXCHANGE RESINS

Abstract

NaCl is used to deice roads during winter storms, but the resulting salty runoff has detrimental environmental effects. A novel low-energy approach for desalinating snowmelt runoff using ion exchange resins was explored. Strong-acid cation and strong-base anion resins were tested in parallel gravity flow columns to determine their efficacy in removing Na+ and Cl− from saline solutions of varying concentrations (0%, 1%, 5%, 10% w/w). Ion exchange was quantified via pH measurements of column effluent samples. Cation resin capacity was positively correlated with influent Na+ concentration, while removal efficiency was negatively correlated with Na+ concentration. Neither the anion resins’ capacity nor removal efficiency followed any correlation with Cl− concentrations. More 1% influent solution compared to 5% or 10% was required to exhaust both resins. Future research should confirm current findings, test resins in realistic field conditions, explore resin regeneration, and examine engineering efficacy in a field setting.

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Gemstone Team MELTS

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