A tribute to Sidney Loeb —The pioneer of reverse osmosis desalination research

Abstract

The technical viability of RO desalination technology was demonstrated in the late 1950's by the pioneering work of Sidney Loeb and Srinivasa Sourirajan and a team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) led by Professors Joseph McCutchan and Samuel Yuster. Today Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalination is a mature process for the production of potable water from seawater and inland brackish water. RO membranes are also now widely used as part of the overall process for the treatment of wastewater for reclamation and reuse for irrigation, industrial, and groundwater recharge applications. RO desalination technology is used worldwide and has made it possible to develop new potable water sources in areas of the world where freshwater water sources are scarce.