A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications

Desalination is becoming crucial to meet the increasing global demand for potable water. Despite its benefits, desalination produces reject brine, a highly concentrated saline byproduct, which poses substantial environmental risks if not managed properly. It contains high levels of salts and other p...

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Main Authors: Pranita Banerjee, Essam K. Zaneldin, Ali H. Al-Marzouqi, Waleed K. Ahmed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/13/2317
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author Pranita Banerjee
Essam K. Zaneldin
Ali H. Al-Marzouqi
Waleed K. Ahmed
author_facet Pranita Banerjee
Essam K. Zaneldin
Ali H. Al-Marzouqi
Waleed K. Ahmed
author_sort Pranita Banerjee
collection DOAJ
description Desalination is becoming crucial to meet the increasing global demand for potable water. Despite its benefits, desalination produces reject brine, a highly concentrated saline byproduct, which poses substantial environmental risks if not managed properly. It contains high levels of salts and other potentially harmful compounds, which, when discharged into oceans or land, can disrupt habitats, degrade soil quality, and harm biodiversity, creating serious environmental challenges. In response to these challenges, this study investigated various uses for reject brine, aiming to reduce its environmental footprint and explore its potential applications. This review paper synthesizes findings from previous studies on the disposal, management, and applications of reject brine in fields such as concrete production, road construction, and ground stabilization. In addition, this review highlights the potential cost savings and resource efficiency resulting from the utilization of reject brine, as well as the mitigation of environmental impacts associated with traditional disposal methods. This paper also provides a comprehensive overview of existing technologies and approaches used to utilize reject brine in various industries, including construction. This review contributes to the growing body of knowledge on environmentally friendly solutions for reject brine, emphasizing its potential role in supporting sustainable development goals through resource reutilization and waste minimization. The study also highlights current research gaps that are still unaddressed, hindering the complete realization of the full potential of reject brine as a sustainable resource.
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spelling doaj-art-32d906f3b954480d888a83cc8f355ff02025-08-20T03:50:21ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011513231710.3390/buildings15132317A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction ApplicationsPranita Banerjee0Essam K. Zaneldin1Ali H. Al-Marzouqi2Waleed K. Ahmed3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesEngineering Requirements Unit, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab EmiratesDesalination is becoming crucial to meet the increasing global demand for potable water. Despite its benefits, desalination produces reject brine, a highly concentrated saline byproduct, which poses substantial environmental risks if not managed properly. It contains high levels of salts and other potentially harmful compounds, which, when discharged into oceans or land, can disrupt habitats, degrade soil quality, and harm biodiversity, creating serious environmental challenges. In response to these challenges, this study investigated various uses for reject brine, aiming to reduce its environmental footprint and explore its potential applications. This review paper synthesizes findings from previous studies on the disposal, management, and applications of reject brine in fields such as concrete production, road construction, and ground stabilization. In addition, this review highlights the potential cost savings and resource efficiency resulting from the utilization of reject brine, as well as the mitigation of environmental impacts associated with traditional disposal methods. This paper also provides a comprehensive overview of existing technologies and approaches used to utilize reject brine in various industries, including construction. This review contributes to the growing body of knowledge on environmentally friendly solutions for reject brine, emphasizing its potential role in supporting sustainable development goals through resource reutilization and waste minimization. The study also highlights current research gaps that are still unaddressed, hindering the complete realization of the full potential of reject brine as a sustainable resource.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/13/2317constructionenvironmental issuesreject brine applicationsreject brine managementwater desalination
spellingShingle Pranita Banerjee
Essam K. Zaneldin
Ali H. Al-Marzouqi
Waleed K. Ahmed
A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
Buildings
construction
environmental issues
reject brine applications
reject brine management
water desalination
title A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
title_full A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
title_fullStr A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
title_full_unstemmed A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
title_short A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications
title_sort review of reject brine disposal management and construction applications
topic construction
environmental issues
reject brine applications
reject brine management
water desalination
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/13/2317
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