Application and development of sludge-based materials for environmental pollution remediation: a bibliometric review from 2004 to 2024

Abstract

In recent years, considerable attention has been directed towards the development of high-value materials derived from various types of sewage sludge (SS) including adsorbents, catalysts, and soil amendments, for their potential in environmental pollution remediation. To investigate the current research status, hotspots, and development trends of sludge-based materials for environmental pollution remediation, this study adopted bibliometric tools, such as Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and Citespace, to conduct a quantitative analysis of the related literature published between 2004 and 2024, collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. The results indicated a consistent annual increase in publication numbers, with a marked acceleration observed over the past six years. China significantly outperforms other countries in terms of publication quantity and institutions, and forming a country cooperation network centered around China. Keyword co-occurrence and burst analyses revealed that the current research hotspots in the field of sludge-based materials for environmental pollution remediation primarily focused on the preparation methods, particularly pyrolysis, and the performance and mechanisms studies of the sludge-based materials as adsorbents and catalysts. Future research should prioritize exploring modification methods and materials to develop further high-performance sludge-based materials, such as sludge-based electrode materials. Moreover, in-depth investigations into the impacts of sludge-based soil amendments on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties should be emphasized. By utilizing bibliometrics to evaluate the current state and future trends of sludge-based materials for environmental pollution remediation, this article provides valuable insights into the field's evolution for researchers.