Sustainable utilization of treated reject brine in construction: A circular approach for climate-resilient infrastructure
Pranita BANERJEE, Essam K ZANELDIN, Waleed AHMED, Ameera MOHAMMAD, Ali AL MARZOUQI, Salem ALZAHMI
Abstract. Desalination is a key water supply strategy in arid regions to meet rising population demands; however, it produces enormous quantities of a highly saline waste effluent known as reject brine, posing significant environmental challenges when discharged into marine or terrestrial environments. This study evaluates a circular economy approach to repurpose treated reject brine in construction, addressing the construction sector’s dependency on freshwater. It highlights the feasibility of partially or completely replacing freshwater with treated reject brine for concrete preparation, with a focus on mechanical performance and durability. The proposed experimental roadmap assesses key performance indicators including slump, compressive strength, sulfate resistance, and steel corrosion resistance when treated reject brine is used as a partial or complete freshwater substitute. Results show that up to 100% freshwater replacement can be achieved without compromising mechanical properties, especially when supplementary cementitious materials are used to mitigate sulfate and chloride effects. The variability in reject brine composition requires careful monitoring, as elevated Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, and SO₄²⁻ concentrations may increase corrosion risk, necessitating appropriate mitigation measures. Life cycle assessment results show that incorporating treated reject brine in concrete production can reduce freshwater demand by approximately 30%. The reject brine undergoes multi-stage treatment consisting of characterization, alkaline pretreatment, Solvay-based precipitation and electrochemical polishing to stabilize ion concentrations prior to use. To manage composition variability, future phases should apply a monitoring protocol and adaptive mix design strategy based on source chemistry, incorporating SCMs and corrosion inhibitors where required to maintain performance consistency.This approach aligns with the objectives of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and regional circular economy policies, positioning treated reject brine as a viable resource for climate-resilient and desalination-dependent economies.
Keywords
Treated Reject Brine, Concrete Durability, Sustainable Construction, Desalination, Circular Economy, Climate Resilient
Published online 6/20/2026, 9 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Pranita BANERJEE, Essam K ZANELDIN, Waleed AHMED, Ameera MOHAMMAD, Ali AL MARZOUQI, Salem ALZAHMI, Sustainable utilization of treated reject brine in construction: A circular approach for climate-resilient infrastructure, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 746-754, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-103
The article was published as article 103 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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