Worldwide Research Trends on Solar-Driven Water Disinfection

Menta Ballesteros, Celeste Brindley, José Antonio Sánchez-Pérez and Pilar Fernández-Ibañez
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Menta Ballesteros: Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Department, Experimental Sciences Faculty, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
Celeste Brindley: Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
José Antonio Sánchez-Pérez: Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Pilar Fernández-Ibañez: Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Centre, School of Engineering, Ulster University, Newtownabbey BT37 0QB, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: “Ensure access to water for all”, states Goal 6 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This worldwide challenge requires identifying the best water disinfection method for each scenario. Traditional methods have limitations, which include low effectiveness towards certain pathogens and the formation of disinfection byproducts. Solar-driven methods, such as solar water disinfection (SODIS) or solar photocatalysis, are novel, effective, and financially and environmentally sustainable alternatives. We have conducted a critical study of publications in the field of water disinfection using solar energy and, hereby, present the first bibliometric analysis of scientific literature from Elsevier’s Scopus database within the last 20 years. Results show that in this area of growing interest USA, Spain, and China are the most productive countries in terms of publishing, yet Europe hosts the most highly recognized research groups, i.e., Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, and UK. We have also reviewed the journals in which researchers mostly publish and, using a systematic approach to determine the actual research trends and gaps, we have analyzed the capacity of these publications to answer key research questions, pinpointing six clusters of keywords in relation to the main research challenges, open areas, and new applications that lie ahead. Most publications focused on SODIS and photocatalytic nanomaterials, while a limited number focused on ensuring adequate water disinfection levels, testing regulated microbial indicators and emerging pathogens, and real-world applications, which include complex matrices, large scale processes, and exhaustive cost evaluation.

Keywords: disinfection; solar; water recycling; photocatalysis; pathogens; inactivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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