Microplastics From Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Bibliometric Analysis

Microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have received significant attention from researchers in recent years as WWTPs are a vital pathway for leaching MPs into the environment. This study employs bibliometric analysis to explore the evolution and emerging trends in research on MPs from WWTPs. This is achieved by employing a range of bibliometric techniques to analyse literature and to identify the publication pattern, prominent authors, journals, and countries contributing to the research in this field. A total of 205 research publications were analysed in this study based on the main keywords such as “microplastics” and “WWTP” and effluent”. The scholars were not interested in MPs in WWTPs before 2015. However, around 84.4% of articles were published from 2020 to 2024, showing the rapid development in the related field. China leads in the number of publications. Currently, 52 countries have contributed to this field of study. The hotspots in the research area are specified based on keyword clustering analysis. This comprehensive analysis is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the fate and existence of MPs in WWTPs and their effluent. This study also provides the perspective for future studies related to MPs in WWTPs.