Bibliometric Analysis of Microplastic Pollution Monitoring in Water Bodies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58812/wsnt.v4i02.2951Keywords:
Microplastics, Bibliometric Analysis, Water Pollution, VOSviewer, ScopusAbstract
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on microplastic pollution monitoring in water bodies to identify intellectual structure, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution within the field. Data were retrieved from a scientific database and analyzed using bibliometric mapping techniques with VOSviewer, focusing on co-authorship, co-occurrence of keywords, co-citation, and country-level collaboration networks. The results reveal that research activity is highly concentrated around core themes such as microplastic occurrence, polymer identification, aquatic ecosystem contamination, and ecotoxicological impacts. Keyword analysis shows a strong emphasis on environmental monitoring, pollution pathways in freshwater and marine systems, and biological exposure through ingestion and toxicity. The co-authorship and institutional networks indicate the presence of several well-established but partially fragmented research groups, with limited cross-cluster integration. At the country level, China, the United States, and India emerge as dominant contributors and central hubs in global collaboration networks, while European and other regions form distinct secondary clusters. The study highlights a transition in the research landscape from descriptive monitoring toward more advanced analytical approaches, including risk assessment and standardized detection methodologies.
References
[1] D. Dutta, “Tweet Your Tune — Social Media, the New Pied Piper in Talent Acquisition,” Vikalpa, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 93–104, 2014, doi: 10.1177/0256090920140307.
[2] S. Sharma and S. Chatterjee, “Microplastic pollution, a threat to marine ecosystem and human health: a short review,” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., vol. 24, no. 27, pp. 21530–21547, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-9910-8.
[3] H. Chen et al., “The occurrence of microplastics in water bodies in urban agglomerations: Impacts of drainage system overflow in wet weather, catchment land-uses, and environmental management practices,” Water Res., vol. 183, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116073.
[4] M. Pivokonsky, L. Cermakova, K. Novotna, P. Peer, T. Cajthaml, and V. Janda, “Occurrence of microplastics in raw and treated drinking water,” Sci. Total Environ., vol. 643, pp. 1644–1651, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.102.
[5] H. Hettiarachchi and J. N. Meegoda, “Microplastic Pollution Prevention: The Need for Robust Policy Interventions to Close the Loopholes in Current Waste Management Practices,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 20, no. 14, 2023, doi: 10.3390/ijerph20146434.
[6] H. Gao et al., “Diversity but not abundance of ingested plastics changes with ontogenetic dietary shift: Stable isotope insights into plastic contamination in a mesopelagic predator longnose lancetfish Alepisaurus ferox,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 208, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116910.
[7] J. Singh and B. K. Yadav, “Subsurface transport and environmental risks of microplastic pollution: influence of land use and seasonal variability,” Environ. Monit. Assess., vol. 197, no. 8, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-14416-5.
[8] C. O. Okoye et al., “Antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment: Analytical techniques and interactive impact of emerging contaminants,” Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol., vol. 96, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103995.
[9] L. Huang et al., “Microplastic contamination in coral reef fishes and its potential risks in the remote Xisha areas of the South China Sea,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 186, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114399.
[10] J. B. P. Cabansag, R. B. Olimberio, and Z. M. T. Villanobos, “Microplastics in some fish species and their environs in Eastern Visayas, Philippines,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 167, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112312.
[11] S. Gao, Z. Li, N. Wang, Y. Lu, and S. Zhang, “Microplastics in different tissues of caught fish in the artificial reef area and adjacent waters of Haizhou Bay,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 174, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113112.
[12] S. A. Adika et al., “Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish species from the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean, off the Coast of Ghana,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 153, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110998.
[13] X. Wan et al., “The distribution and risk of microplastics discharged from sewage treatment plants in terrestrial and aquatic compartment,” J. Environ. Manage., vol. 314, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115067.
[14] N. Donthu, S. Kumar, D. Mukherjee, N. Pandey, and W. M. Lim, “How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 133, pp. 285–296, 2021.
[15] N. Van Eck and L. Waltman, “Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping,” Scientometrics, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 523–538, 2010.
[16] P. Farrell and K. Nelson, “Trophic level transfer of microplastic: Mytilus edulis (L.) to Carcinus maenas (L.),” Environ. Pollut., vol. 177, pp. 1–3, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.01.046.
[17] L. Lei et al., “Microplastic particles cause intestinal damage and other adverse effects in zebrafish Danio rerio and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans,” Sci. Total Environ., vol. 619–620, pp. 1–8, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.103.
[18] H. A. Leslie, S. H. Brandsma, M. J. M. van Velzen, and A. D. Vethaak, “Microplastics en route: Field measurements in the Dutch river delta and Amsterdam canals, wastewater treatment plants, North Sea sediments and biota,” Environ. Int., vol. 101, pp. 133–142, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.01.018.
[19] Q. Zhang et al., “A Review of Microplastics in Table Salt, Drinking Water, and Air: Direct Human Exposure,” Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 54, no. 7, pp. 3740–3751, 2020, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b04535.
[20] T. A. Aragaw, “Surgical face masks as a potential source for microplastic pollution in the COVID-19 scenario,” Mar. Pollut. Bull., vol. 159, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111517.
[21] C. J. Foley, Z. S. Feiner, T. D. Malinich, and T. O. Höök, “A meta-analysis of the effects of exposure to microplastics on fish and aquatic invertebrates,” Sci. Total Environ., vol. 631–632, pp. 550–559, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.046.
[22] S. Huang et al., “Detection and Analysis of Microplastics in Human Sputum,” Environ. Sci. Technol., vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 2476–2486, 2022, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03859.
[23] Y. Xiang et al., “Microplastics and environmental pollutants: Key interaction and toxicology in aquatic and soil environments,” J. Hazard. Mater., vol. 422, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126843.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Loso Judijanto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Facebook 
Instagram 
Twitter 
Youtube 
westscience.journals@gmail.com