An inclusive trend study of evaluation and scientometric analysis of microplastics

Abstract

Plastics have been the most favorable requirement for the current generation, and it has become an emerging global concern. MPs (Microplastics) have been pervading for 20 years and affecting human health. Recently research related to MPs has catered to solve the hazardous effects growing on the surroundings (Marine life, human health, etc). The current study discovers research areas and themes, followed by the performance indicators (authors, journals contributing to the research related to MPs) to conceptualize the initial and present pavements in MPs by bibliometric analysis. The major research topics seen in 2018–2022 in the field of MPs are sampling and association impacts, plastic pollution in micro-nano levels (related to health hazards), and source detection and treatments. The most availed areas were marine, surface water, wastewater, and drinking water followed by very few studies that validated the research in the area of atmospheric MPs. However, the study found that MPs associated with air quality research enticed environmental effects, airborne particle association, transportation and deposition, and atmospheric pollution. The realms of MPs associated with air pollution and air quality are undiscovered to their extent and the research related to the effects on human health remains minimal. The review attempts to explore research based on MPs and provide the overall research themes for researchers to find solutions to the growing issues related to MPs.