Bibliometric Profile of Global Microplastics Research from 2004 to 2019

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have generated worldwide attention due to their global distribution in the environment, and their potential harmful effects on human and animal health. To analyze MPs-related scientific publications from a global point of view, we created a bibliometric profile, by searching the Web of Science Core Collection database for the topic “microplastic* or (micro near/1 plastic*)”, in publications dated from 2004 to 2019. The results revealed an increasing trend in publication output, and identified contributions of different countries and their collaborations, as well as influential authors and productive journals in the field of MPs research. Using co-citation network analysis in VOSviewer, we mined cited references for knowledge bases about analytical methods, potential sources and spatial distributions of MPs, the impacts of MPs on organisms, and the interaction of MPs with contaminants, as well as microorganisms. We also identified four global hotspots for MPs related research, using author keywords co-occurrence network analysis of all extracted publications, as well as Essential Science Indicators highly cited papers from Clarivate Analytics. Results of this study provide a valuable reference for ongoing MPs-related research, which may be of intrigue and awesome noteworthiness for relevant researchers.

Marine Waste—Sources, Fate, Risks, Challenges and Research Needs

“…Primary microplastics include pellets, beads, nurdles, fibers, and powders, and as regards the material, they are usually polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Secondary microplastics are created from the breakdown of larger plastic debris, mainly as a result of weathering or aging [ 17 , 45 , 59 ]. Most microplastics in the aquatic environment come from household sewage discharge, the application of sewage sludge, and the spillage of air blasting media.…”

Global Research Talents: Analysis of Their Behavior and Publication/Citation Patterns

“…Many of them assess the situation in one country (e.g., Onyancha, 2020;Gautam, 2017;Fu et al, 2011;Miyairi and Chang, 2012;Fu et al, 2011;Allik, 2008;Pislyakov, 2011;Bornmann et al, 2017;Kharabaf and Abdollahi, 2012), others compare more countries (e.g., Almeida et al, 2009;Jeenah and Pouris, 2008;Hu and Rousseau, 2009;Almeida et al, 2009;Zavadskas, 2011). Some studies focus on certain scientific disciplines (Sun and Yuan, 2021;2020c;Yuan and Sun, 2019;Liao et al, 2019;Chen et al, 2018;Chuang et al, 2011;Qin et al, 2020;Ma et al, 2020;Cui, 2020;Zhai and Di, 2019;Yuan and Sun, 2020) or specific scientific or educational institutions (e.g., Cao et al, 2010;Pouris, 2007;Ghane et al, 2013;Gautam, 2015;Huang et al, 2006;Markusova et al, 2009;Aversa and Markusova, 2010;Huang and Chang, 2005;Wang et al, 2011;De Filippo et al, 2017;Cao et al, 2010;Shuang et al, 2016;Mokhnacheva and Kharybina, 2011). Several authors bring a new perspective on specific topics (Viiu and Paunescu, 2021;…”

Comparative bibliometric trends of microplastics and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances: how these hot environmental remediation research topics developed over time

“…Several bibliometric studies have investigated various topics related to these pollutants and attempted to visualise the development of PFAS and MPs topics. [23][24][25][26][27][28] These studies frequently make use of the most comprehensive literature databases, such as Web of Science and Scopus. Such studies are also common to span several decades and cover topics ranging from regional to global in scope.…”