Bibliometric insights into microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems

Microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems has emerged as a significant environmental concern, warranting comprehensive investigation, and understanding. This study employs bibliometric analysis to systematically review and synthesize the existing literature on microplastic pollution in freshwater environments from 2013 to 2023. The exponential growth in research output was uncovered by analyzing 885 documents sourced from the Web of Science database, with an average annual growth rate of 73.13% and an average document citation of 30.17. Our findings highlight the dominance of primary and secondary microplastics as pollutants, their ecological consequences, and the resultant socio-economic implications. Notably, the Science of the Total Environment and Environmental Pollution journals emerge as leading publication venues, while China, Germany, and the USA lead in research contributions, underlining the global nature of microplastic pollution research. The analysis further outlines the most commonly cited works, identifying pivotal studies that have shaped current understanding and future research directions. This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape on microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, helping researchers to identify knowledge gaps and emerging trends. These insights can guide future research directions and inform policymakers and stakeholders on where scientific efforts should be concentrated to better understand and address the impacts of microplastic pollution.