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A bibliometric analysis of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments from 2013 to 2023

Sustainable Environment Research 2025 3 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 48 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Shanshan Yang, Shanshan Yang, Shanshan Yang, Zhansheng Li, Qiying Yang, Peixian Li, Yaqian Jiao, Yaqian Jiao, Yaqian Jiao, Qiying Yang, Zhansheng Li, Shanshan Yang, Qiying Yang, Yifan Ruan Yifan Ruan, Qiying Yang, Yifan Ruan, Yifan Ruan

Summary

Researchers analyzed over 1,100 published studies on microplastic pollution in water from 2013 to 2023, finding that scientific output grew more than 140-fold over the decade with oceans receiving the most attention. China, the UK, Canada, and the US led global research output, and risk assessment and pollution monitoring emerged as the dominant research themes.

Abstract Plastics are extensively utilized in a variety of industries, including fisheries, agriculture, and commerce, due to their lightweight, corrosion resistance, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. From 2013 to 2023, the volume of research literature concerning microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has surged, underscoring the growing concern over MP pollution. This study aims to identify research hotspots and trends regarding MPs in water environments through a bibliometric analysis of publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). During the study period, we screened a total of 1,141 articles related to MPs in aquatic environments. The number of articles rose dramatically from 2 in 2013 to 289 in 2023, indicating significant growth in this research area. Notably, 887 studies focused on marine waters, followed by rivers (397), wastewater (350), and lakes (176), suggesting that oceans are a primary hotspot for MPs research. In the past five years alone, 1,025 studies on MP pollution in water have been published, accounting for 89.8% of the total literature, highlighting widespread concern. The journals publishing the most articles on MPs include Marine Pollution Bulletin (253 articles) and Science of the Total Environment (190 articles). Analysis of total citations and publication counts reveals that China, the UK, Canada, and the USA are leading countries in this field. Institutions such as China’s Chinese Academy of Sciences and East China Normal University are particularly influential. Furthermore, the collaborative research between China and the USA, as well as between China and Australia, stands out. This paper quantitatively assesses global research trends and hotspots related to MP pollution, emphasizing key areas such as risk assessment, pollution surveys, and mitigation technologies. We also address critical scientific issues that need attention in the context of global water pollution, aiming to provide insights for monitoring mechanisms and future standards for MP control.

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