The Evolution and Future Challenges of Modern and Contemporary Seawater Desalination Technology

In recent years, environmental pollution has been widely discussed, with water resource pollution being particularly crucial. Although Earth's total water resources are abundant, freshwater is limited and unevenly distributed. In contrast, seawater is extremely abundant and contains over 80 chemical elements such as chlorine, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. If effectively separated and purified, seawater could help alleviate freshwater shortages. Seawater desalination, a key solution to global water scarcity, has evolved from simple distillation to efficient membrane separation over recent decades. This review systematically traces the development of desalination technologies, analyzing the principles and applications of mainstream methods like reverse osmosis and multi-stage flash evaporation. It also highlights recent research in nanomaterials, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy integration. Through critical analysis of key challengesincluding energy consumption, environmental impact, and economic feasibilitythis paper identifies current bottlenecks, reveals research gaps, and explores potential paths for technological integration and innovation. The aim is to offer theoretical and practical insights to support the sustainable advancement of seawater desalination.