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Bibliometric insights into pollution research: trends, geographic disparities, and emerging environmental challenges
Summary
This large-scale analysis of over 735,000 pollution research publications from 1990 to 2024 reveals that microplastics have become one of the fastest-growing areas of environmental concern. The study found that while pollution research has expanded rapidly, low-income regions remain underrepresented and the interaction between different types of pollution is poorly understood. The findings highlight an urgent need for more global collaboration and policy-focused research to address emerging threats like microplastic contamination.
Abstract Pollution remains a major global challenge, impacting air, water, and soil while posing risks to human health and ecosystems. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of global pollution research through a large-scale bibliometric analysis. Using 735,138 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to 2024, we examined four key aspects: (1) overall research trends, (2) geographical distribution of studies, (3) topic patterns across environmental media, pollution problems, pollutant sources, and pollution mitigation strategies, and (4) current research gaps and policy-relevant recommendations. Results reveal a rapid rise in pollution research, with strong collaboration among developed countries and between developed and emerging economies. However, notable disparities persist: low-income regions remain underrepresented, and cross-media interactions—especially between air and other systems—are insufficiently explored. Sentiment analysis shows topic- and region-specific variation and suggests increasing concern over emerging issues such as microplastics. Additionally, scientific and technological solutions dominate pollution research, while economic policies and education receive far less attention—an imbalance that should be addressed to better translate research into practical solutions. Addressing these gaps requires interdisciplinary research, equitable global collaboration, and broader integration of social and behavioral dimensions into pollution mitigation strategies.