Shale　gas　is　abundant　worldwide　and　has　a　smaller　carbon　footprint　than　conventional　coal.　However,　exploitation　of　shale　gas　produces　a　large　amount　of　hydraulic　fracturing　wastewater,　which　hurts　the　ecological　environment.　Effective　treatment　of　shale　gas　produced　water　(SGPW)　is　a　great　challenge　and　membrane　distillation　(MD)　which　is　not　restricted　by　salinity　is　a　hot　topic　in　dealing　with　this　wastewater.　This　paper　focused　on　the　influence　of　feed　water　quality　on　performance　of　direct　contact　MD　by　adjusting　pH　and　pretreating.　By　analyzing　MD　permeate,　controlling　the　feed　water　non-alkalinity　facilitated　MD　treatment　of　SGPW　and　acidic　condition　greatly　hindered　the　cross-membrane　mass　transfer　of　ammonia　nitrogen.　Among　the　traditional　pretreatment　methods,　aluminum　coagulant　removed　99%　of　turbidity　and　exhibited　the　best　superiority　in　mitigating　membrane　fouling,　whose　final　flux　was　2.2　times　the　raw　SGPW.　Dual　coagulation　and　zeolite　adsorption　reduced　ammonia　nitrogen　by　about　50　%　and　95　%,　whose　final　permeate　conductivities　were　about　65　%　and　62　%　of　the　untreated,　respectively.　Analyses　of　attenuated　total　reflection　fourier　transform　infrared　and　scanning　electron　microscope　equipped　with　an　energy　dispersive　spectroscopy　confirmed　the　reduction　in　membrane　fouling　after　pretreatment　of　feed　water.　This　study　provides　guidance　for　treatment　of　SGPW　using　MD.　©　2024　Elsevier　B.V.