Brine disposal
Name(s):
Dumping of excess salt
Salt deposits from irrigation
Nature
Concentrated brines and salt deposits can accumulate as a result of irrigation on saline soils and/or using water with relatively high amounts of dissolved salts. Continuation of productive land use may require disposal of excess saline residues. Commonly proposed is dumping into local salt lakes or pumping into saline aquifers, or even freshwater watercourses. These methods, together with continuation of the original irrigation practices, degrade the land and can carry other serious environmental impacts which are rarely considered.
Background
Brine waste includes toxic concentrations of magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride,bromine, iodine and boron.
Incidence
The Mexican Environment protection agency observed a fish kill caused by a spill of over four million gallons of brine waste from a plant in Laguna Ojo de Liebre in may 1998.
Aggravates
Waste disposal in deep wells [in 1 loop]
Aggravated by
Strategy(ies)
Type
(E) Emanations of other problems