| dc.description.abstract | The implementation of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) has resulted in an increased focus on developing innovative, sustainable sanitation
techniques to address the demand for adequate and equitable sanitation in low-income areas. We examined the
background, current situation, challenges, and perspectives of global sanitation. We used bibliometric analysis
and word cluster analysis to evaluate sanitation research from 1992 to 2016 based on the Science Citation Index
EXPANDED (SCI-EXPANDED) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) databases. Our results show that sani-
tation is a comprehensive field connected with multiple categories, and the increasing number of publications
reflects a strong interest in this research area. Most of the research took place in developed countries, especially
the USA, although sanitation problems are more serious in developing countries. Innovations in sanitation
techniques may keep susceptible populations from contracting diseases caused by various kinds of contaminants
and microorganisms. Hence, the hygienization of human excreta, resource recovery, and removal of micro-
pollutants from excreta can serve as effective sustainable solutions. Commercialized technologies, like com-
posting, anaerobic digestion, and storage, are reliable but still face challenges in addressing the links between
the political, social, institutional, cultural, and educational aspects of sanitation. Innovative technologies, such
as Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs), and struvite precipitation, are at the TRL
(Technology readiness levels) 8 level, meaning that they qualify as “actual systems completed and qualified
through test and demonstration.” Solutions that take into consideration economic feasibility and all the different
aspects of sanitation are required. There is an urgent demand for holistic solutions considering government
support, social acceptability, as well as technological reliability that can be effectively adapted to local condi-
tions. | en_US |
