doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2025.16.4.1535
Scaling and Corrosion Dynamics for Full-Scale SWRO Desalination Plants in Egypt: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies
Ali Nada1,2,3,*
,
Mahmoud Sharaan1,4 ,
Mohamed Elshemy2,5 ,
Manabu Fujii3 ,
Mona G. Ibrahim1,6
- 1Environmental Engineering Department, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt
- 2Department of Irrigation and Hydraulics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, 31512, Egypt
- 3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
- 4Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt
- 5Faculty of Engineering, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, 4781, Saudi Arabia
- 6Environmental Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21544, Egypt
- Manuscript receivedMarch 10, 2025
- revisedApril 7, 2025
- acceptedApril 28, 2025
- publishedAugust 5, 2025
Abstract
Desalination is a non-traditional and sustainablesource of safe drinking water. Scaling and corrosiveness arecritical issues to ensure the sustainability of desalination plants,as they directly affect economic feasibility, operationalefficiency, environmental compliance, and the quality of theproduced water. The main objective of this study is to evaluatethe scaling and corrosion potential for three different watertypes (feed water, brine, and permeate) related to SeawaterReverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants in Egypt.Statistical approaches and saturation indicators, including theLangelier Saturation Index (LSI), Stiff & Davis Stability Index(S&DSI), and Ryznar Stability Index (RSI), were applied todata collected monthly during 2023. The results revealed thatfeedwater exhibited S&DSI values ranging from 0.18 to 0.75,indicating scale formation but non-corrosive states. In contrast,RSI values varied between 7.2 and 8.15, confirming thepotential corrosion tendency in all plants except one that usedshore wells intake. Accordingly, brine S&DSI values rangedfrom 0.03 to 1.6, signifying conditions from balanced toscale-forming, while their RSI values varied between 5.5 and 8.1,predicting scaling tendencies at lower values and low to highcorrosion risks at higher values. On the contrary, permeatewater LSI values ranged from –0.28 to –3.21, indicatingundersaturation and a tendency toward corrosivity, and thehigher RSI (8.55 to 12.85) further confirmed the aggressivenature of the permeate water. The results showed that a slightchange in pH levels has the most significant impact on thewater's tendency toward scaling, while normal temperaturevariations did not have the same influence. However, lowcalcium concentrations are key to increasing the water'scorrosive tendency. The findings highlight the need for carefulwater chemistry management to balance scaling and corrosionrisks in desalination systems. Early and continuous detection isrecommended to help operators optimize chemical dosing,adjust pretreatment processes, and enhance desalination systemlongevity by mitigating scaling and corrosion risks.
Keywords
- desalination plants
- seawater reverse osmosis
- saturation index
- scaling and corrosiveness potential
- sustainable water management
How to Cite
Ali Nada, Mahmoud Sharaan, Mohamed Elshemy, Manabu Fujii, and Mona G. Ibrahim, "Scaling and Corrosion Dynamics for Full-Scale SWRO Desalination Plants in Egypt: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 278-285, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijesd.2025.16.4.1535
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).