Recent Advances in Sewer Biofilms: A Perspective on Bibliometric Analysis

The long-distance transport of wastewater in sewers inevitably leads to the formation of biofilms on the inner wall of sewers. Numerous studies have focused on analyzing the hydrogen sulfide, methane production, and emission patterns associated with sewer biofilms in sewer systems. This study employed bibliometric methods to analyze the research progress in the field of sewer biofilms from 1995 to 2025, and revealed the associated development trend, international cooperation network, and research hotspots. The results demonstrate a substantial increase in the number of annual publications over the past decade, with China and Australia as the primary contributors. The journal Water Research has been found to exert a significant influence. The research hotspots concentrate on the generation and control of hydrogen sulfide and methane, sewer corrosion mechanisms, and microbial community dynamics, with chemical dosing, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and biofilm metabolism as the key directions. The evolution of keywords demonstrates that early research focused on organic matter transformation, and in recent years, there has been a shift towards microbial ecology and wastewater epidemiology, along with other emerging areas. Recent years have seen China as well as China’s institution and authors emerge as the primary contributors in the sewer biofilm field, a development attributable to the country’s policy support, which has precipitated the development of green technologies and smart monitoring systems. This study demonstrates the necessity of international cooperation and provides theoretical references and technological directions for future sewer biofilms research.