We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Current patterns and trends of microplastic pollution in the marine environment: A bibliometric analysis
Summary
This bibliometric analysis maps research trends on marine microplastic pollution from 2011 to 2022, showing a dramatic increase in scientific publications on the topic. Key research themes include microplastic ingestion by marine life, wastewater as a source, and contamination in specific regions like the Mediterranean Sea. The growing body of research reflects increasing concern about how marine microplastics enter the human food chain through seafood consumption.
Microplastics are pervasive in the natural environment and pose a growing concern for global health. Plastic waste in marine environments has emerged as a global issue, threatening not only marine biota but also human health due to its implications for the food chain. This study aims to discern the patterns and trends of research, specifically on Marine Microplastic Pollution (MMP), based on a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications from 2011 to 2022. The methodology utilized in this study comprises three stages: (a) creating a bibliographical dataset from Scopus by Elsevier and the Web of Science Core Collection by Clarivate Analytics, (b) analyzing current research (trends and patterns) using bibliometric analysis through Biblioshiny tool, and (c) examining themes and subthemes in MMP research (wastewater treatment, plastic ingestion, the Mediterranean Sea, microplastics pollution, microplastics in freshwater, microplastic ingestion, plastic pollution, and microplastic pollution in the marine environment). The findings reveal that during the studied period, the number of MMP publications amounted to 1377 articles, with an average citation per publication of 59.23 and a total citation count of 81,553. The most cited article was published in 2011, and since then, the number of publications on this topic has been increasing steadily. The author count stood at 5478, with 22 trending topics identified from the 1377 published titles. Between 2019 and 2022, the countries contributing most to the publication of MMP articles were China, the United States of America (USA), and the United Kingdom (UK). However, a noticeable shift in the origin of author countries was observed in the 2019-2022 timeframe, transitioning from a dominance by the USA and the UK to a predominance by China. In 2019, there was a substantial increase in the volume of publications addressing the topic of microplastics. The results show that the most prevalent themes and subthemes pertained to MMP in the Mediterranean Sea. The journals with the highest number of MMP articles published were the Marine Pollution Bulletin (253 articles) and Science of the Total Environment (190 articles). The analysis concludes that research on MMP remains prominent and appears to be increasing each year.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
The emerging issue of microplastics in marine environment: A bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2020
This bibliometric analysis of marine microplastic research from 2004 to 2020 revealed rapid growth in publications, identified key research themes and collaborations, and highlighted emerging topics including microplastic impacts on marine organisms and human health.
How do humans recognize and face challenges of microplastic pollution in marine environments? A bibliometric analysis
Researchers performed a bibliometric analysis of 1,898 publications on marine microplastics, mapping research growth, collaboration networks, and thematic trends over time, and predicting that future research will increasingly focus on biological effects, human health impacts, and policy-relevant risk characterization.
Microplastics in the Mediterranean marine environment: a combined bibliometric and systematic analysis to identify current trends and challenges
This systematic review analyzes microplastic research trends in the Mediterranean Sea region, where contamination levels are a growing concern. The study identifies key research areas and gaps in understanding how microplastics in this semi-enclosed sea affect marine life and could impact the health of the millions of people living along its coasts.
Global trends and prospects in microplastics research: A bibliometric analysis
Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of global microplastics research using the Web of Science database from 1986 to 2019. The study found that publications on microplastics increased significantly since 2011, with research hotspots and trends shifting from marine contamination surveys toward understanding ecological impacts and human health implications.
A Study of marine plastic pollution abatement: A bibliometric analysis on status and development trend
Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of marine plastic pollution research using R software, finding that global scientific attention has grown substantially, with microplastics emerging as a central focus spanning both macro- and microscale investigations.