Current publication activity on nanoplastics & microplastics: a bibliometric analysis

In recent years, interest in Nanoplastics and Microplastics (NM) has increased both in scientific research and in the initiatives of environmental protection organizations. This points to their increasing importance and impact on scientific research and ecological conservation efforts. NMs are detected in natural water resources, air, and soil, depending on factors such as population density, industrial activities, and waste management policies. Due to the small size of NMs, they are more rapidly penetrated and transported. For this reason, the observation of NMs becomes very important due to the inclusion of easily transported NMs in biological processes and the increased damage to the environment. Considering the crucial role of NMs in almost every discipline, the motivation of this study is to investigate the current productivity level as well as the existing research trends in this area globally, and to forecast future research activity for specific countries. Bibliometric analysis was conducted for articles that were drawn from the Web of Science (WoS), published in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The extrapolation method was used to estimate potential future capacity trends for defined countries. A total of 6373 documents were produced worldwide on NMs during 2021—early 2023. China was the most active country, Science of the Total Environment was the leading journal, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institution. China was also the first one regarding total citations, while the USA and Italy were second and third. Portugal, Slovenia, and Cyprus formed the top three regarding the total number of documents and citations, after the adjustment for population level. Additionally, predictions depicted that China would preserve its uppermost role in this area in the upcoming 5 years. This study presents a comprehensive synthesis of the latest trends in productivity within this field. Global collaborative efforts, expanding research personnel, and improving the trend of research grants coupled with steady governmental policies, collectively will contribute to enhancing both the productivity levels and widespread dissemination of publications in this subject area. Hence, because of its topicality, this work could also be named as informative for upcoming and ongoing bibliometric studies.