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In this bibliometric study, we analyzed over 11,000 papers to identify enduring themes in seawater desalination (SWD) research. Predominant contributions came from Chinese and North American institutions. A shift from process design in the early 2010s to membrane fabrication and renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, in the early 2020s was observed. Key themes such as energy, solar, reverse osmosis (RO), modeling, optimization, and environmental impact have been consistently explored since the early 2000s. Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) are effective for removing microorganisms and organic matter, while nanofiltration (NF) eliminates hardness and heavy metals. Although RO remains the primary method for seawater desalination, its high energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions are significant drawbacks. Forward osmosis (FO) and membrane distillation (MD) offer alternatives but face challenges like draw solution regeneration and lower energy efficiency. Environmental concerns include brine and chemical discharges, while economic and social impacts involve geographical considerations, raw water quality, and worker health and safety. Emerging research areas include blue energy, zero liquid discharge (ZLD), and "blue carbon" for CO2 removal, highlighting opportunities to address SWD's high energy demands and environmental impacts.
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Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.
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