Bibliometric Analysis Reveals the Progress of PM2.5 in Health Research, Especially in Cancer Research

Abstract

PM2.5 has an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 microns due to its inherent physical and chemical properties so that it can enter the alveoli through the respiratory tract for blood gas exchange. Numerous studies have shown that PM2.5 is a serious air pollutant that poses a wide range of health risks, especially for cancer. Bibliometric methods were employed to have comprehensively analyzed the research of PM2.5 in cancer for about a decade in Web of Science to identify hotspots and trends using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R. The field has undergone overall growth in the past decade. As research on PM2.5 in health deepens, cancer related to it expanded beyond the respiratory system to the digestive system, urinary system, female gonadal axis, breast cancer and other cancers. Another observation is that research on PM2.5 in cancer has progressed in the mechanisms of deterioration, such as the role of matrix metalloproteinases in cancer. In addition, research on the risks of PM2.5 in combination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals has also emerged. Results showed that there are relatively more studies on PM2.5 in high-latitude countries, which may be due to different national conditions, such as climate and coal combustion. Our research has combed through the progress of PM2.5 in cancer research and provided a supplement for developing pollution prevention ideas with different national conditions in this field.

An overview of air pollution research in Chile: Bibliometric analysis and scoping review, challenger and future directions

“…Several studies have used this methodology, for example, to study research trends in the monitoring and management of air quality [ 20 ], airborne microorganisms [ 21 ], and the impact of air pollution on human health [ 22 ]. Bibliometric indicators were used to review the literature on particulate matter (PM) and its possible association with atherosclerosis [ 23 ] and to analyze current research patterns on atmospheric aerosols worldwide [ 24 ]. Such studies are valuable to researchers, decision makers and the public because they can provide information on current trends and the state of research on air pollution, inform the formulation of new research proposals, identify knowledge gaps that require attention, guide research funding, evaluate intervention results, and provide reliable information to the public.…”