Research progress and perspective on sludge anaerobic digestion technology: A bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Waste Management

Background:

• Rational sludge disposal remains a significant environmental challenge.
• Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a key technology for treating sludge and recovering energy.
• Understanding research trends is crucial for advancing AD applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of anaerobic digestion (AD) research from 1986 to 2022.
• To identify research progress, emerging trends, and key focus areas in AD.
• To evaluate pretreatment technologies and future research directions for sludge management.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis using quantitative and qualitative approaches.
• Data sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection database (1986-2022).
• Identification of research trends, publication growth, and thematic clusters.

Main Results:

• AD research initiated in 1999, with a significant increase in publications post-2012.
• Primary focus on energy recovery (methane, volatile organic acids) from sewage sludge via AD.
• Evaluation of pretreatment methods addressing hydrolysis, water content, and heavy metal toxicity.

Conclusions:

• Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) shows significant potential for future AD research.
• Iron conductive materials, iron-based advanced oxidation, and biological treatments are identified as promising future technologies.
• Further investigation into DIET-related technologies is recommended for enhanced sludge management and energy recovery.