Abstract: With the large-scale population growth and urban development in coastal areas around the world, the demands for desalinated seawater resources and sewage treatment and reuse are increasing constantly. Membrane treatment technology is widely used in the fields of seawater desalination and sewage treatment with reverse osmosis technology being the most widely applied. However, forward osmosis technology is gradually valued due to the low energy consumption, little pollution, and easy operation. This paper summarizes the current applications and researches of forward osmosis technology in the fields of seawater desalination and sewage treatment. And it focuses on the advantages and potentials of forward osmosis technology in the joint scenario of seawater desalination and sewage treatment. On this basis, the paper expatiates on the current researches of synchronous seawater desalination and sewage treatment by forward osmosis, analyzes the limitations and problems and proposes suggestions on future optimization.

Key words: forward osmosis, seawater desalination, sewage treatment