A Comprehensive Review of the Status and Removal of Emerging Contaminants in Urban Water Bodies Mediated by Stormwater Over the Past 30 Years

Urban water bodies—encompassing rivers, lakes, surface waters, and groundwater—play critical roles in maintaining urban hydrological balance. However, stormwater runoff increasingly transports emerging contaminants (ECs), including heavy metals (HMs), microplastics (MPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose significant threats to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Although EC removal in urban waters is widely studied, the mediating role of stormwater remains poorly quantified. We conducted the first bibliometric analysis (1994–2024) of EC fate in stormwater-mediated urban waters, analyzing 1344 publications from Web of Science. Our analysis identified three key trends: (1) sustained global research focus on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, led by major contributing nations; (2) a marked post-2020 shift toward microplastics and PFAS as priority contaminants;(iii) Persistent gaps in real-time monitoring, cross-media contaminant flux quantification, and synergistic removal mechanisms. Extreme rainfall (intensified by climate change) and contaminant interactions synergistically elevate ecological risks. Future research must prioritize real-time sensors, ecological risk assessment frameworks, and policy-driven green infrastructure deployment to enhance urban water resilience.