Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector, Islamabad, H-1244000, Pakistan.
Department of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University, Wah Campus, Islamabad, 47040, Wah Cantt, Pakistan.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Apr;30(17):48628-48653. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26011-7. Epub 2023 Feb 25.
Bricks have a long history of being utilized as a construction material across the globe. The production processes involved in the manufacture of bricks have a significant impact on the environment, human health, economy, and society. This study conducts a thematic and bibliometric analysis to provide an in-depth review of the effects of brick kilns on humans and the environment. The PRISMA framework was used to identify relevant articles from the Web of Science database, resulting in the selection and critical review of 348 articles. The bibliometric analysis included an evaluation of historical growth, keywords, citation and co-citation, organizations, and countries. The articles were published in 213 journals, written by 1396 authors from 670 institutions in 66 countries. Thematic analysis revealed that brick kilns have a negative impact on the environment, including soil damage, and cause health problems for kiln workers and animals. Modern slavery and societal issues also persist in developing countries. The current research is focused on finding alternative materials for brick manufacturing, improving industry energy efficiency, managing waste, and technological advancements, such as the implementation of the zigzag or Hoffmann kiln to reduce pollution. In developing countries, utilizing waste from other industries in brick production can effectively lower production costs. While developed countries have embraced advanced technologies for brick production, it is recommended that developing countries adopt awareness campaigns to encourage the upgrading of kilns to cleaner and more sustainable systems. Future research directions should aim to support brick kiln owners in adopting such systems.
砖作为一种建筑材料在全球范围内有着悠久的历史。制造砖的生产过程对环境、人类健康、经济和社会都有重大影响。本研究通过主题和文献计量分析，深入探讨了砖窑对人类和环境的影响。本研究使用 PRISMA 框架从 Web of Science 数据库中确定了相关文章，最终选择和批判性地审查了 348 篇文章。文献计量分析包括对历史增长、关键词、引文和共引、组织和国家的评估。这些文章发表在 213 种期刊上，由来自 66 个国家的 670 个机构的 1396 位作者撰写。主题分析表明，砖窑对环境有负面影响，包括土壤破坏，并导致窑工和动物的健康问题。现代奴隶制和社会问题在发展中国家仍然存在。目前的研究重点是寻找砖制造的替代材料，提高工业能源效率，管理废物，以及技术进步，例如实施之字形或霍夫曼窑以减少污染。在发展中国家，利用其他行业的废物来生产砖可以有效地降低生产成本。虽然发达国家已经采用了先进的砖生产技术，但建议发展中国家开展宣传活动，鼓励窑炉升级为更清洁、更可持续的系统。未来的研究方向应该旨在支持砖窑所有者采用这些系统。
