**5. Results**

### **5.1 Characterization of the water quality of the Lluta River**

The Lluta River, located in the Lluta Valley, is a water system in which the physicochemical characteristics vary seasonally, mainly in summer due to the altiplanic summer rains. In addition, there are variations at different points along its course due to the presence of minor tributaries. The concentration of arsenic is notable, exceeding 29 times the value recommended by the WHO (10 mg L<sup>1</sup> ) [52]. **Table 2** presents the physicochemical parameters of the Lluta River water.

*Use of Saline Waste from a Desalination Plant under the Principles of the Circular… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105409*


### **Table 2.**

*Physicochemical characterization of the Lluta River water (proper elaboration).*

### **5.2 Determination of soil quality in the Lluta Valley**

In the Lluta Valley, mainly only corn (*Zea mays*) (*amylaceous*), alfalfa (*Medicago sativa*), onion (*Allium cepa L.*), garlic (*Allium sativum L*.), and beet (*Beta vulgaris var. Hortensis L.*) are grown. The soil use in the Lluta Valley is limited to these types of products due to high salinity, high concentrations of boron, chloride, and sodium, and drainage problems, as shown in **Table 3**, and physicochemical characteristics have historically affected the Lluta Valley, limiting the diversification of agricultural production systems.

### **5.3 Desalination process parameters**

The calculation of the feed flow is made by means of Eq. (4), where Qp is 360 L h<sup>1</sup> and the conversion is 50%, obtaining Qa equal to 720 L h<sup>1</sup> . With the optimum flow rates of feedwater and plant product water, the brine flow rate is obtained by means of a load balance (Ec. (1)), with Qs equal to 360 L h<sup>1</sup> .

To estimate the concentration of salts, present in the brine, a theoretical calculation was made, considering that the plant has a yield equal to Y (%) = 50. Through (Ec. (5)), the concentration factor (CF) is obtained, whose result is 2. This value was used to characterize the brine, multiplying its value by the initial concentration of each parameter of the Lluta River water (**Table 2**), where the results are expressed in **Table 4**.


**Table 3.**

*Physicochemical characterization of the soil in the Lluta Valley (proper elaboration).*

### *The Circular Economy - Recent Advances in Sustainable Waste Management*


### **Table 4.**

*Theoretical characterization of the physicochemical parameters presents in the brine (proper elaboration).*
