Global publication trend in the field of resource recovery from wastewater: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

In the 19th century, wastewater was not given the proper attention, leading to its mismanagement and neglect. The increase in wastewater volume over time led to the adoption of treatment methods. Technological advancements have enabled a shift from wastewater treatment to resource recovery. Recently, resource recovery from wastewater has gained global attention, generating a wealth of information. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate that information as it could shed light on unexplored areas. A bibliometric analysis was conducted over 20 years, from 2002 to 2021. The study revealed that publication productivity was initially low, but there was a significant increase in productivity starting in 2013. A 5-fold increase in contributions was observed from 2013 to 2021, specifically in the number of countries. Among these countries, China and the USA were the major contributors, accounting for 50% of the publication productivity. Further, the importance of international collaboration in this field is evident, as it accounted for 40% of the publication. Wastewater is now recognized as a valuable renewable resource, rather than a liability, and continued exploration is necessary to find solutions to freshwater scarcity challenges.