chemistryTopic 10 · Using ResourcesPaper 2Grades 8–9
Should a drought-prone region build desalination or expand recycling?
Starting scenario
A desalination plant supplies 90 million L day⁻¹ using 3.8 kWh m⁻³. A wastewater-recycling scheme supplies 65 million L day⁻¹ using 1.6 kWh m⁻³, but public acceptance is lower. Fertiliser runoff is damaging a nearby estuary, and construction needs concrete and metals.
You will work through 8 staged questions that build up the science you need. Then you will answer one big-picture question from memory, with no checklist to help you — and only afterwards will the full connection map be revealed.