IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i5p2118-d1350924.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Evaluation of the Al-Qasab Playa by Integrating Hydrogeochemical and Graphical, ArcGIS Watershed, and Thermodynamic Geochemical Modeling Approaches

Author

Listed:
  • Hassan E. Gomaa

    (Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia
    Department of Nuclear Safety Engineering, Nuclear Installations Safety Division, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo 11765, Egypt
    Water Research Group, College of Science and Humanities at Ad-Dawadmi, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia)

  • Fatma A. Gomaa

    (Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia
    Department of Chemistry, College of Women for Science, Arts, and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11757, Egypt)

  • Sami M. Abdel Azeem

    (Water Research Group, College of Science and Humanities at Ad-Dawadmi, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia
    Chemistry Department, College of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Al-Quwayiyah 11971, Saudi Arabia
    Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt)

  • Abdullah A. Alotaibi

    (Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia
    Water Research Group, College of Science and Humanities at Ad-Dawadmi, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadmi 11911, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Drawing development plans requires evaluating the available resources and assessing their sustainable and subsequent utilization-driven environmental impacts. The current work is concerned with evaluating the sustainability of the halite harvesting process from Al-Qasab Playa, Shaqra, Central Saudi Arabia. The authors integrated, conceptually and quantitatively, ArcGIS-processed SRTM-DEM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission-Digital Elevation Model) data, hydrogeochemical and thermodynamic-based geochemical modelling, and graphical approaches to achieve the ultimate aims of the study. The watershed is identified as a nonmarine closed basin with a drainage area of 1290 km 2 , with the slope controlling recharge to the Playa. The Chadha plot including the rainwater exhibits linear regression, with an R 2 value of 0.9947, confirming the rainwater origin of the Playa water. The hardness-forming ions are primarily removed in pond 3, eliminating the need for costly and power-consuming steps of softening with ion exchange resins or nanofiltration as it can be used directly as a readily available feed for the chlor-alkali process for producing NaOH, Cl 2 , and H 2 gases through electrolysis. XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis and the SEM-EDS (Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) of the harvested halite confirmed its purity. An improved design of the current folkloric harvesting process has been proposed based on the saturation indices calculated thermodynamically to provide a readily available feed intake for the electrolysis chlor-alkali process with or without minimal pretreatment to produce higher value chemicals. The methodological aspects presented here are deemed robust and valid for applications in other study areas, including the assessment of the exploitation of the rejected brine from the desalination plants to achieve the zero liquid discharge approach, as well as other types of sabkhas, regardless of their geographical location.

Suggested Citation

  • Hassan E. Gomaa & Fatma A. Gomaa & Sami M. Abdel Azeem & Abdullah A. Alotaibi, 2024. "Sustainability Evaluation of the Al-Qasab Playa by Integrating Hydrogeochemical and Graphical, ArcGIS Watershed, and Thermodynamic Geochemical Modeling Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-26, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:5:p:2118-:d:1350924
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2118/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2118/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bouwer, Herman, 1994. "Irrigation and global water outlook," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 221-231, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wichelns, Dennis & Oster, J.D., 2006. "Sustainable irrigation is necessary and achievable, but direct costs and environmental impacts can be substantial," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(1-2), pages 114-127, November.
    2. Raats, Peter A.C. & Feddes, Reinder A., 2006. "Contributions by Jans Wesseling, Jan van Schilfgaarde, and Herman Bouwer to effective and responsible water management in agriculture," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(1-2), pages 9-29, November.
    3. Xu, Hailiang & Ye, Mao & Li, Jimei, 2008. "The water transfer effects on agricultural development in the lower Tarim River, Xinjiang of China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 59-68, January.
    4. Ya'acob, M.E. & Lu, Li & Zulkifli, S.A. & Roslan, N. & Ahmad, W.F.H. Wan, 2023. "Agrivoltaic approach in improving soil resistivity in large scale solar farms for energy sustainability," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    5. Shahrokhnia, Hossein & Wu, Laosheng, 2021. "SALEACH: A new web-based soil salinity leaching model for improved irrigation management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    6. Yu, Jim T. & Bouwer, Edward J. & Coelhan, Mehmet, 2006. "Occurrence and biodegradability studies of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products in sewage effluent," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(1-2), pages 72-80, November.
    7. Asadi, Mohammad Esmaeil & Clemente, Roberto S. & Gupta, Ashim Das & Loof, Rainer & Hansen, Gunner K., 2002. "Impacts of fertigation via sprinkler irrigation on nitrate leaching and corn yield in an acid-sulphate soil in Thailand," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 197-213, January.
    8. Bouwer, Herman, 2000. "Integrated water management: emerging issues and challenges," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 217-228, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:5:p:2118-:d:1350924. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.