Unravelling the advances and potential of forward osmosis in acid mine drainage remediation: A comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis

The extreme acidity and heavy metal content of acid mine drainage pose major environmental risks, making efficient treatment methods necessary. The utilization of forward osmosis for treating acid mine water is critically examined in this review study, with an emphasis on environmental impact, membrane technology, and process efficiency. Potential benefits of forward osmosis, a viable substitute for traditional water treatment methods, include decreased fouling and energy usage. Recent developments in forward osmosis membrane materials, such as the creation of innovative thin-film composites and nanocomposite membranes that improve performance and selectivity, are thoroughly examined in this study. The important elements affecting the efficiency of the forward osmosis process, including membrane fouling, energy recovery techniques, and draw solution selection, are also covered in the study. Notwithstanding these developments, there are still issues, namely with membrane fouling, draw solution control, and the viability of expanding forward osmosis systems for broad use from an economic standpoint. A bibliometric analysis was conducted, revealing that this field is still in its early stages but has shown a positive research trajectory from 2009 to 2024. This review highlights the special benefits and drawbacks of forward osmosis by contrasting it with conventional mine water treatment technologies, offering insights into its potential future use in the mining sector. The study ends with suggestions for further investigation and advancement with the goal of removing current obstacles and maximizing the use of forward osmosis in the treatment of acid mine water. • Overview of Forward Osmosis (FO) for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment. • Comparison of FO with other membrane-based treatment methods. • Bibliometric analysis. • Challenges of membrane fouling and scaling in AMD treatment. • Energy efficiency and sustainability of FO for AMD.