Advancements in reverse osmosis desalination: Technology, environment, economy, and bibliometric insights

作者：Ahmad Shabib, Bushra Tatan, Yousef Elbaz, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Mohamed A. Hamouda, Munjed A. Maraqa · 发表于：Desalination · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.desal.2024.118413 · 被引用次数：93 · 研究领域：Membrane Separation Technologies、Membrane-based Ion Separation Techniques、Recycling and Waste Management Techniques

Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination has emerged as a crucial technology for addressing global water scarcity challenges, with significant advancements in recent decades. Despite its widespread adoption, there remains a need for comprehensive analysis of research trends, technological innovations, and life cycle impacts to guide future developments in this field. This review paper presents a multifaceted examination of RO desalination, combining bibliometric analysis with in-depth assessments of technological advancements as well as environmental and economic life cycle impacts. The bibliometric analysis reveals substantial growth in RO desalination research, identifying key contributors, geographical hubs of innovation, and emerging research themes. Technological advancements explored include high-permeability and anti-fouling membranes, novel system configurations like closed circuit and flow reversal RO, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for process optimization. Environmental life cycle assessments highlight the significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy integration, with studies showing up to 90 % reduction compared to grid-powered systems. The impact of different water intake methods and intended uses of permeated water on environmental performance is also examined. The study also compares costs across different countries and energy sources, finding conventional fossil fuels currently most economical but noting th...