Global trends and future prospects of acid mine drainage research.

Abstract

The uncontrolled release of acid mine drainage (AMD) results in the ongoing deterioration of groundwater and surface water, along with harmful impacts on aquatic ecosystems and surrounding habitats. This study employed a bibliometric analysis to examine research activities and trends related to AMD from 1991 to 2021. The analysis demonstrated a consistent growth in AMD research over the years, with a notable surge in the number of publications starting from 2014. Applied Geochemistry and Science of the Total Environment emerged as the top two extensively published journals in the field of AMD research. The USA held a prominent position, achieving the highest h-index (96) and central value (0.36) among 111 countries/territories, with China and Spain following closely behind. The author keyword analysis provides an overview of the main focuses in AMD research. Furthermore, the co-citation reference analysis reveals four primary domains of AMD research. Moreover, the prevention and remediation of AMD, including source prevention and migration control, as well as the hazards posed by heavy metals/metalloids and the mechanisms and techniques employed for their removal, are discussed in detail.