For Israel, seawater desalination has become an indispensable technology in the fight against the region’s deteriorating water situation. Today, the country produces around 600 million cubic meters of desalinated seawater per year, which constitutes 60% of the water provided to Israeli households and 50% of the nation’s entire water supply (including for agriculture). Despite its paramount importance to water security in the drying Middle East, desalination turned out to cause adverse human health effects – which are the concern of scientists as well as government officials in Israel.
In 2002, Israel ventured on an unprecedented path by drastically shifting the country’s source of water supply towards seawater desalination. For this purpose, large-scale desalination plants were built along the Mediterranean coast using reverse osmosis, a technique whereby pressurized water is forced through a membrane which filters out the salts. So far, the decision to switch to desalination enabled Israel to stay ahead of the increasing water scarcity in the region.
However, this technology comes at a price. According to Prof. Yona Amitai, a pediatrician, toxicologist, and expert for public health at the Bar Ilan University in Israel, desalinated seawater is lacking four essential minerals that are vital to human health – calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and iodine. The minerals are removed during the desalination process, along with the salts.
...In 2016, Israeli researchers for the first time examined the possibility of desalinated water being the cause of iodine deficiency and thyroid diseases. The study, conducted at the Barzilai University Medical Center in Ashkelon – a city located on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, getting most of its municipal water from the nearby desalination facility – showed that 70% of the 74 participants had iodine intake below the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR). Twenty-nine participants were diagnosed with non-autoimmune thyroid disease (NATD). It was concluded that the iodine intake of those patients living in areas depending on desalinated seawater is too low, which might be directly connected to iodine deficiency and thyroid health.
...The Ministry of Health (MoH) acknowledges the problem of iodine deficiency in Israel but dismisses the notion of adding iodine to desalinated seawater due to the risks involved in such an application. “It should be noted that worldwide it is not acceptable to add iodine, even in countries with substantial shortages,” a spokesperson of the ministry says. The ministry thus recommends the public to switch from regular salt to iodized salt, and keep a balanced diet rich in iodine. Amitai, however, says that the World Health Organization recommends adding iodine to salt, which is done in more than 100 countries, but not in Israel.
Unlike iodine, calcium seems to be less of a problem in Israel, as it is already being added to desalinated seawater in order to avert pipe corrosion.
...But by far, the most controversial issue at the moment is the lack of magnesium in desalinated seawater, which, according to estimates by the Ministry of Health, is responsible for the death of 250 Israelis every year. However, these are estimates made ten years ago when the supply of desalinated seawater was less than half the supply of 2019.
Close to ten years ago, a committee appointed by the Ministry of Health and headed by Prof. Avner Adin developed new regulations on drinking water quality in Israel, which included the assessment of desalination issues.
According to Prof Amitai, the Adin Committee decided, although aware of the importance of magnesium, against its addition to desalinated seawater, intending to closely watch the population for ten years and see what the actual consequences are going to be.
...Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of adverse health effects and increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis, but also diabetes and even colon cancer.
... a high-profile research study conducted at Bar Ilan University by Prof. Amitai, PhD Student Meital Shlezinger and in collaboration with Prof. Michael Shechter and Prof. Ilan Goldenberg both from the Sheba Medical Center, found mortality from myocardial infarction was significantly higher in subjects living in those regions that are supplied with desalinated seawater.
The findings had a significant impact on the public and caused countrywide outrage as the scientists could establish that mortality rates before the introduction of desalination were similar in all regions.
In the wake of the bombshell report, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prompted the Ministry of Health to carry out a feasibility study of adding magnesium to desalinated seawater. Although the Ministry of Health took a stance by recommending to add magnesium to the water, no measures have been taken so far.
According to Amitai, appropriate steps have been deferred because the Water Authority opposes the idea of adding magnesium to the municipal water system, claiming the costs were too high and outweighed the benefits.
...Recently scientists from Gilat Research Center in the Negev examined the effects of desalinated seawater on agriculture. The study found a gradual decrease of magnesium and sodium concentrations in produce grown in Israel since the inception of nationwide seawater desalination in 2008. The researchers tested over 500 samples of 29 different fruits and vegetables for magnesium levels and compared them to the same products from the USA. It turned out that levels in all 29 products were considerably lower than those taken from the USDA database.
The results of the study have caused Prof. Amitai to believe that mortality in Israel due to magnesium deficiency in desalinated seawater is even higher than the estimate made by the MoH ten years ago, and might claim the lives of up to 600 Israeli’s every year.
No other western country depends on desalination as Israel does.
Whether it is lab-grown meat or drinking water stripped of its minerals, man's "improvements" always seem to result in less health, more sickness and even death.
In answer to my question: "How much water does Israel provide to Jordan each year and what is its source?"
ChatGPT replied...
Israel provides up to 100 million cubic meters (MCM) of water annually to Jordan, as part of agreements outlined in the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty and later agreements.
Breakdown of Water Supply:
Original Treaty Obligation (1994)
50 MCM per year from the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret).
Additional Agreement (2021 Expansion)
Additional 50 MCM per year, doubling the supply to 100 MCM annually.
This additional supply is sourced from desalinated water from the Mediterranean.
Sources of the Water:
Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) – Historically, much of the water supplied to Jordan has come from this freshwater lake.
Desalinated Water – The newer agreements rely more on Israel’s advanced desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast.
Again I queried ChatGPT: "How much water does Israel provide to the Palestinian Authority each year and what is its source?"
And again, it replied...
Israel provides approximately 90–110 million cubic meters (MCM) of water annually to the Palestinian Authority (PA), though this amount fluctuates based on agreements and actual supply.
Breakdown of Water Supply:
Oslo II Accords (1995)
Israel committed to supplying 31 MCM per year to the West Bank.
The agreement recognized the PA’s future water rights but left final allocations to a permanent status agreement, which has not yet been reached.
Over the years, Israel has supplied significantly more than the agreed 31 MCM, reaching around 90–110 MCM per year.
A 2017 agreement between Israel and the PA increased water sales by an additional 32 MCM per year.
Sources of the Water:
The Mountain Aquifer – A key groundwater source shared by Israel and the PA.
The Coastal Aquifer – Supplies parts of the Gaza Strip but is over-extracted and contaminated.
Israeli Desalination Plants – Some of the additional water comes from desalinated sources in Israel.
There was, however, some good news. I asked a third time: "What is the source of the drinking water supplied to Judea and Samaria?"
And received this answer...
The drinking water supplied to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) comes from a combination of natural and desalinated sources, with the Mountain Aquifer being the primary natural source. The water is distributed to both Israeli settlements and Palestinian communities through a network managed largely by Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.
Main Sources of Drinking Water in Judea and Samaria
The Mountain Aquifer (Primary Source)
This is the largest and most important freshwater source in the area, extending under both Israel and the West Bank.
It has three sub-basins:
Western Aquifer (largest, most productive).
Eastern Aquifer (serves many Palestinian towns).
Northeastern Aquifer.
Israel extracts water from this aquifer and supplies both Israeli and Palestinian communities.
Israeli Desalination Plants (Growing Contribution)
Israel’s Mediterranean desalination plants provide an increasing share of the drinking water.
Some of this desalinated water is piped into the West Bank, supplementing natural sources.
Local Palestinian Wells and Springs
Palestinians operate hundreds of local wells and springs, but many have limited capacity.
Over-extraction, pollution, and insufficient infrastructure limit their reliability.
Since the article I quoted above was published in 2019, I asked my final question of ChatGPT: "Has Israel made any headway in replacing minerals necessary for health in the desalinated water provided to Israeli citizens?"
Answer...
Key Developments in Remineralization of Desalinated Water:
Calcium Remineralization (Widespread Implementation)
Israel adds calcium to desalinated water before distributing it.
This is done by passing the desalinated water through limestone filters, which dissolves calcium into the supply.
This step helps prevent corrosion in pipes and improves water taste.
[Which, as we saw from the article was only instituted because of the pipes not because of citizen health concerns.]
Desalinated water lacks magnesium, a mineral crucial for heart health, bones, and nerve function. Studies in Israel linked low magnesium intake to an increase in cardiovascular disease. Unlike calcium, adding magnesium to the water is more complex and costly.
The Israeli government has explored methods to add magnesium to desalinated water, including:
Injecting magnesium salts into the supply.
Using natural dolomite rock to dissolve magnesium into water.
While pilot projects have been conducted, full-scale implementation has been delayed due to cost concerns. Since magnesium enrichment is not yet universal, health officials recommend that citizens increase dietary magnesium intake through food or supplements.
Calcium is already reintroduced into the water supply.
Magnesium is still largely missing, though ongoing discussions and pilot projects may lead to future implementation.
Desalinated water is blended with groundwater in some areas, which helps mitigate mineral loss.
Just as I suspected, nothing has actually changed. And it won't, until Mashiach comes. The good news is rain is coming tonight and Mashiach is due any day now!!
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PS: Before anyone comes along and suggests buying bottled mineral water as a solution, keep this fact in mind...
...researchers found that, on average, a liter of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. About 90% of these plastic fragments were nanoplastics. This total was 10 to 100 times more plastic particles than seen in earlier studies, which mostly focused on larger microplastics. (Source)