Membrane Distillation for Water Treatment: Recent Advancements, Current Challenges, and Prospects

ABSTRACT Water demand from an exponentially growing population and rapid industrialization increases pressure on freshwater sources, drawing global attention to the development of promising water treatment technologies. Membrane distillation (MD) offers an effective solution for desalinating seawater and treating wastewater. MD systems with various configurations and membrane modules can achieve high rejection rates (>99%) of salts and toxic contaminants. Recent advancements, including novel modules, configurations, membrane materials, and modifications, have revolutionized MD technology, steering it toward sustainable solutions for water scarcity. Although challenges such as membrane fouling can significantly affect MD performance, several potential solutions have been proposed to enhance membrane durability without harming the environment. An in‐depth understanding of MD technology offers numerous avenues for future research that scientists and hydrologists can pursue to develop green solutions for water purification and wastewater treatment. Thus, MD technology has the potential to play a crucial role in water purification, enhancing global water security.