Selectivity of cations in electrodialysis and its desalination efficiency on brackish water

In this study, desalination by electrodialysis with ion exchange membranes was applied to synthetic waters with various ion concentrations and also for ground waters from coastal areas in Korea. Electrodialysis performance on the synthetic solutions showed the similar tendency in operation time and current curves, i.e., shorter operation time and higher maximum current with increasing applied voltages. The ED results of synthetic waters with different ion compositions, i.e., $Na_2SO_4$, $MgSO_4$, $CaSO_4$, at the similar conductivity condition, i.e., $1,250{\mu}s/cm$ revealed that effects of mono- and divalent ions on water quality and performance in electrodialysis were different. The divalent ions had less efficiency in the ED compared to monovalent sodium ions and also divalent calcium ions showed better performance than Mg ions. The electrodialysis on the ground waters produced high quality of drinking water. The groundwater from SungRoe however showed a buildup of membrane resistance. Organic matter concentrations and great portions of divalent ions in the groundwater were possible causes of the deteriorated performance.