REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) CONCENTRATE MANAGEMENT: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/s6ncw231Keywords:
Agricultural water reuse, Brine management, Circular water systems, Reverse osmosis concentrate, Salinity and sodicity, Water-scarce regionsAbstract
Background: The rapid global expansion of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, driven by urbanization, climate change, and escalating water scarcity, has led to the generation of large volumes of highly saline concentrate (brine). Management of this byproduct remains a critical environmental and regulatory challenge, as conventional disposal practices are associated with ecological degradation, soil salinization, and marine toxicity. At the same time, growing pressure on freshwater resources has prompted renewed interest in viewing RO concentrate as a potential resource rather than solely as waste.
Objective: This narrative review aims to synthesize current evidence on the composition, environmental risks, regulatory context, and emerging opportunities for the sustainable reuse of RO concentrate, with particular emphasis on its integration into circular water and agricultural systems.
Main Discussion Points: The review discusses the physicochemical characteristics of RO concentrate, highlighting its high total dissolved solids and dominance of sodium and chloride ions. Key disposal pathways and their environmental implications are examined alongside evolving regulatory approaches. The review further explores reuse strategies, especially in agriculture, including dilution-based irrigation, halophyte cultivation, hydroponics, and soil amendment practices. Critical soil–water quality parameters such as electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, and residual sodium carbonate are emphasized as determinants of safe and effective reuse.
Conclusion: The evidence suggests that, under controlled and site-specific conditions, RO concentrate can be repurposed to support water-efficient and nutrient-aware agricultural practices. However, long-term sustainability depends on rigorous monitoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthened regulatory frameworks. Reframing RO concentrate as a recoverable resource offers a promising pathway toward resilient and circular water management.
References
Sirota R, Winters G, Levy O, Marques J, Paytan A, Silverman J, et al. Impacts of desalination brine discharge on benthic ecosystems. Environ Sci Technol. 2024;58(13):5631–5645.
Parsons LR, Sheikh B, Holden R, York DW. Reclaimed water as an alternative water source for crop irrigation. HortScience. 2010;45(11):1626–1629.
Jiménez-Arias D, Sierra SM, García-Machado FJ, García-García AL, Borges AA, Luis JC. Exploring the agricultural reutilisation of desalination reject brine from reverse osmosis technology. Desalination. 2022;529:115644.
Scholes RC, Stiegler AN, Anderson CM, Sedlak DL. Enabling water reuse by treatment of reverse osmosis concentrate: the promise of constructed wetlands. ACS Environ Au. 2021;1(1):7–17.
Lee CH, Ho HJ, Chen WS, Iizuka A. Total resource circulation of desalination brine: a review. Adv Sustain Syst. 2024;8(7):2300460.
Yuan H, Zhang A, Zhu C, Dang H, Zheng C, Zhang J, et al. Saline water irrigation changed the stability of soil aggregates and crop yields in a winter wheat–summer maize rotation system. Agronomy. 2024;14(11):2564.
Madugundu R, Al-Gaadi KA, Tola E, Patil VC, Sigrimis N. Impact of salinity and nutrient regimes on agro-morphological traits and water use efficiency of tomato under hydroponic conditions. Appl Sci. 2023;13(17):9564.
Ntanasi T, Savvas D, Karavidas I, Papadopoulou EA, Mazahrirh N, Fotopoulos V, et al. Assessing salinity tolerance and fruit quality of pepper landraces. Agronomy. 2024;14(2):309.
Soomro KB, Alaghmand S, Shahid MR, Andriyas S, Talei A. Evaluation of AquaCrop model in simulating bitter gourd water productivity under saline irrigation. Irrig Drain. 2020;69(1):63–73.
Cheng M, Wang H, Fan J, Wang X, Sun X, Yang L, et al. Crop yield and water productivity under salty water irrigation: a global meta-analysis. Agric Water Manag. 2021;256:107105.
Bassiouny M, Abdel Maksoud Y, Kimera F, Bahader K, Sewilam H. Investigating the potential of growing crops hydroponically utilizing feed and draw solutions from fertilizer drawn forward osmosis. Environ Sci Eur. 2023;35(1):68.
Xin L, Han Y, Ma X, Tang M, Duan A, Abulaiti M, et al. Effect of saline and freshwater rotational irrigation on the microenvironment and yield of tomato soil. BMC Plant Biol. 2025.
Panagopoulos, A. (2025). Assessing the energy footprint of desalination technologies and minimal/zero liquid discharge (mld/zld) systems for sustainable water protection via renewable energy integration. Energies, 18(4), 962.
Oraby, H., Ezz, A. A., & Hegazy, G. E. (2025). Advances in desalination: pioneering methods and the future of water sustainability. Discover Water, 5(1), 88.
Benahmed, A., Bessedik, M., Abdelbaki, C., Mokhdar, S. A., Goosen, M. F., Höllerman, B., ... & Badr, N. (2025). Investigating the long-term economic sustainability and water production costs of desalination plants: A case study from Chatt Hilal in Algeria. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research, 51(1), 31-38.
G. Layani, M. Bakhshoodeh, M. Zibaei, D. Viaggi, Sustainable water resources management under population growth and agricultural development in the Kheirabad river basin, Iran, Bio base Appl. Econ. 10 (4) (2021) 305–323.
Shehata, N.; Egirani, D.; Olabi, A.; Inayat, A.; Abdelkareem, M.A.; Chae, K.-J.; Sayed, E.T. Membrane-based water and wastewater treatment technologies: Issues, current trends, challenges, and role in achieving sustainable development goals, and circular economy. Chemosphere 2023, 320, 137993.
Ayboga, E. Policy, and Impacts of Dams in the Euphrates and Tigris Basin. Mesopotamia Water Forum 6–8 April 2019, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Available online: https://www.savethetigris.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Paper-Challenge-BDams-FINAL-to-be-published.pdf (accessed on 12 December 2022). 32. FAO. The State of Food and Agriculture 2020, Overcoming Water Challenges in Agriculture; FAO: Rome, Italy, 2020.
Dhakal, N.; Salinas-Rodriguez, S.G.; Hamdani, J.; Abushaban, A.; Sawalha, H.; Schippers, J.C.; Kennedy, M.D. Is Desalination a Solution to Freshwater Scarcity in Developing Countries? Membranes 2022, 12, 381.
Banerjee, P., Zaneldin, E. K., Al-Marzouqi, A. H., & Ahmed, W. K. (2025). A Review of Reject Brine Disposal, Management, and Construction Applications. Buildings, 15(13), 2317.
Tayeh, Y. A. (2024). A comprehensive review of reverse osmosis desalination: Technology, water sources, membrane processes, fouling, and cleaning. Desalination and Water Treatment, 320, 100882.
Foo, K., Liang, Y. Y., Lau, W. J., Khan, M. M. R., & Ahmad, A. L. (2023). Performance of Hypersaline Brine Desalination Using Spiral Wound Membrane: A Parametric Study. Membranes, 13(2), 248.
Yaqub, M., Nguyen, M. N., & Lee, W. (2022). Treating reverse osmosis concentrate to address scaling and fouling problems in zero-liquid discharge systems: A scientometric review of global trends. Science of The Total Environment, 844, 157081.
El Zayat, H., Nasr, P., & Sewilam, H. (2021). Investigating sustainable management of desalination brine through concentration using forward osmosis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(29), 39938-39951.
Souza, A.C.M.; Dias, N.D.S.; Arruda, M.V.D.M.; Fernandes, C.D.S.; Alves, H.R.; Nobre, G.T.N.; Peixoto, M.L.L.F.; Neto, O.N.d.S.; da Silva, M.R.F.; da Silva, F.V.; et al. Economic analysis and development of the Nile Tilapia cultivated in the nursery using reject brine as water support. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2022, 233, 8.
Hristov, J., Barreiro-Hurle, J., Salputra, G., Blanco, M., Witzke, P., 2021. Reuse of treated water in European agriculture: potential to address water scarcity under climate change. Agric. Water Manag 251, 106872.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Aqeel, Hamza Rehman, Abdul Rehman, Nimra Mubarak (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
