A bibliometric analysis of olive mill wastewater treatment methods from 1988 to 2023

Abstract

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) poses a significant environmental challenge due to its complex composition and high organic content. Despite extensive research on OMW treatment, further investigation is required to enhance our understanding of this field. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 1188 articles from the Scopus database, focusing on research trends and advancements in OMW treatment processes. The analysis reveals that over 34.1 % of the papers were published in the last five years, indicating a growing interest in addressing the challenges associated with OMW. The study identifies the Journal of Bioresource Technology, Desalination and Water Treatment and the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology as influential journals in this field. Geographically, Italy, Spain, and Greece are the leading contributors to OMW treatment research, reflecting the regional significance. The analysis of keywords highlights ''Olive mill wastewater,'' ''phenolic compounds,'' and ''polyphenols'' as frequently used terms, representing the primary research focus. Anaerobic digestion, adsorption, and electrocoagulation are common processes that are getting more popular. Commonly researched OMW pollutants concerned with phenolic compounds, polyphenols, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) emerged as the most frequently studied pollutants in recent years. It is concluded that this field of knowledge has aroused great interest since 2006; however, more research can still be carried out on the application of various treatment processes to treat OMW. The findings of this study provide an overview of the latest advancements.

Keywords

• Bibliometric analysis
• Olive mill wastewater
• Research trends
• Treatment processes
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