A bibliometric analysis from 1997 to 2023 examining the research trends in eliminating taste and odor compounds from drinking water

The increasing demand for high-quality drinking water has made the elimination of taste and odor (T&O) substances from drinking water a matter of growing importance. This study offers a comprehensive overview of research advancements in T&O compound removal from drinking water, employing bibliometric tools to visually analyze pertinent literature. A combined total of 1569 articles were collected from the Web of Science Core Citation Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Citation Database, covering the period from 1997 to 2023. The study identified three distinct developmental stages in this field, with a notable surge in publications since 2018. Environmental and Ecology publications make up the majority of the publications in this category. Water Research (with 50 articles and an average of 10.46 citations) emerged as the most prolific journal, while the Journal of Environmental Sciences (with 8 articles and an average of 13.38 citations) was the most frequently cited journal. China and the United States made notable contributions to the field, with China having a total citation count of 117 and a total link strength of 16, while the USA had 74 citations and a link strength of 16. Keyword clustering analysis reveals that researchers primarily concentrate on conventional water treatment processes and physical or chemical techniques for removing T&O compounds produced by algae and the impact of by-products. Finally, we suggest the following areas for future research on T&O compounds, including precise traceability, in situ treatment, combined treatment, and toxicity studies of odorants and their degradation products. Overall, this bibliometric study lays the foundation for further advancements in T&O compound treatment to ensure the delivery of safe and odor-free water to the public.