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Article

The Mapping of Global Plastic Pollution Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Progress and Thematic Trends

by
Jun Yang
1,2,
Xiaomei Hu
1 and
Fenglong Tan
3,*
1
School of Finance, Hunan University of Finance and Economics, Changsha 410205, China
2
School of Public Administration, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
3
School of Public Administration, Central South University, Changsha 410075, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051859
Submission received: 16 November 2024 / Revised: 26 January 2025 / Accepted: 18 February 2025 / Published: 21 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Air, Climate Change and Sustainability)
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Abstract

:
The rapid increase in human activity over the past few decades has led to the ubiquity of plastic pollution, causing irreversible damage. This affects sustainable development in terms of the land, sea, and atmosphere. However, we currently lack a comprehensive understanding of this issue. Therefore, in this study, based on 7899 relevant articles published in Web of Science and Scopus from 1974 to 2024, we use the R-tool knowledge mapping method to visualize the current status of global plastic pollution research; identify research hotspots and thematic trends; and summarize key elements in the field. We seek to provide governments, policymakers, and scholars with a comprehensive overview that highlights the issues in environmental science, emphasizing its importance and increasing our understanding of this field. This study indicates that significant international exchanges in plastic pollution research are centered in the UK, US, China, and Australia, with a global focus on prevention and control strategies. In addition, the inherent complexity and transboundary nature of plastic waste underscore the need for advanced technological solutions and extensive collaboration. In the future, the Plastic Pollution Research Center will prioritize technological advances and enhanced international cooperation to address the challenges of plastic pollution.

1. Introduction

Over the last few decades, plastics have become ubiquitous in our daily lives [1]. Plastic’s unique properties of being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce have led to its widespread use in many aspects of human life, including its use in container lids and closures; bottles and food products; and jugs, bowls, and other household items [2]. As society has developed, plastics have brought many benefits, but they have also caused a series of environmental challenges. Specifically, plastics are often used as cheap, disposable packaging materials, with most being discarded into the environment after use, with the exception of a small portion that is recycled [3]. By 2020, the global production of plastics exceeded the biomass of all terrestrial and marine animals combined [4]. Li et al. (2016) [5] revealed that plastic litter and microplastics can be found across the entire Earth, from nearshore areas to the open sea, from the equator to the poles, and from surface waters to the deep ocean. Compounding this issue, plastic is durable and does not break down easily. Once discarded, these plastics integrate into the Earth’s ecosystems, causing irreparable damage to the soil, oceans, air, plants, animals, and humans, culminating in pollution. According to a UN Environment Programme report, without significant intervention, 23 to 37 million tons of plastic waste will enter the oceans annually by 2040. By 2060, 155 to 265 million tons of plastic waste will be released into the environment annually. Plastic pollution has become a global problem, necessitating a worldwide response.
Various governance initiatives have been undertaken globally to combat plastic pollution, with notable success. For example, in the European Union (EU), 150,000 and 500,000 tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter the oceans yearly. In 2018, the EU initiated the European Plastics Strategy, aiming to ensure that all plastic packaging on the EU market by 2030 is reusable or suitable for cost-effective recycling. This strategy also includes the prohibition of non-recyclable materials for packaging. Additionally, in May 2019, most countries agreed to amend the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, incorporating plastic waste as a regulated material. This amendment is now binding across 186 countries, and it mandates greater transparency and the better regulation of trade regarding plastic waste. Under the Basel Convention, governments must ensure the environmentally sound management of plastic waste and address its sources. In 2020, the U.S. Plastics Pact was launched. This initiative unites businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and research institutions to foster a shared vision of a circular economy for plastics. Its goal is to keep plastics within the economy and out of the environment by eliminating unnecessary plastics, taking innovative measures to make plastics reusable, recyclable, or compostable and ensuring the recycling of all used plastic items.
Alongside these efforts, scholars have explored plastic pollution from various perspectives, such as the current situation, the legislative initiatives of various countries, and the treatment technologies applied. The harm caused by plastic pollution has been explored. For example, plastic waste will enter the soil ecosystem through various pathways and adsorb onto or desorb from soil particles, being transferred to other environments or organisms in the soil ecosystem [6]. Plastic waste also enters the oceans and causes irreparable harm to the entire marine ecosystem, including algal plants, shellfish, fish, and marine microorganisms [7,8]. Humans are also not immune, as microplastics and nanoplastics can enter the human respiratory, immune, reproductive, and digestive systems through various pathways, affecting human health [9]. Even in the Arctic region, where there is no significant human activity, there are large amounts of plastic debris and microplastics. The initiatives and practices of major countries or international organizations around the world, aiming to combat plastic pollution, have been presented. In particular, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the regions that is most affected by marine litter. Parties in this region have established multi-stakeholder collaborations and multi-level efforts to effectively tackle this problem. This includes the establishment of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the strengthening of policy and social interaction [10]. On the other hand, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, in the South Pacific region, have addressed the challenge of plastic pollution through a variety of interventions, such as legislation, finance, and volunteering [11]. Meanwhile, as the world’s largest producer of plastics, China has addressed plastic pollution mainly through increased and strengthened regulatory policies [12]. In addition, other countries or organizations are equally active in the management of plastic pollution. The most common and mainstream methods used to deal with plastic pollution have been introduced. One is mechanical recycling treatment, in which waste plastics are recycled for reuse through physical means, such as crushing, cleaning, sorting, and melting [13]. The second is chemical recycling technology, including pyrolysis, catalytic cracking, and solvent recovery. For example, the chemical structure of plastic waste is converted into shorter molecules through heat-induced chemical or biochemical reactions and used for other applications or to create new products [14]. The third consists of biodegradation and biorecycling technologies. These involve the degradation of plastics via microorganisms, enzymes, or other biocatalysts, being especially suitable for natural or degradable plastics; such technologies are environmentally friendly and non-toxic [15]. The fourth involves the development of alternative and innovative materials, such as bio-based plastics and degradable plastics; this can reduce the production and use of plastics at the source and mitigate environmental pollution [16].
Plastic pollution has become a global governance problem, seriously threatening the sustainable development of mankind. By analyzing the global literature on plastic pollution, we summarize the areas of concern, the technical consensus, and the future directions of plastic pollution prevention and control. The current situation is viewed from the perspective of historical development, aiming to encourage nations around the world to reach a consensus and take unified action so as to ultimately promote the harmonious development of man and nature. However, most of the current research on plastic pollution focuses on specific aspects and lacks a comprehensive overview, and there is an urgent need for systematic theoretical and empirical research to bridge this gap. With this in mind, this study uses the R-tool bibliometric methodology to visualize the current status, topics of interest, and future trends in global plastic pollution research. This study contributes to this field in several ways. We seek to enrich the literature on plastic pollution and address the research gaps in terms of bibliometrics applied in this area. While there have been global efforts to prevent the spread of plastic pollution, and some scholars have conducted bibliometric analyses focusing on marine and freshwater plastic pollution [17,18], a comprehensive summary of global plastic pollution studies is still absent. Acknowledging previous studies, this research is the first to systematically employ bibliometric analysis to summarize global plastic pollution, offering a detailed examination of its historical evolution. We present a comprehensive collection of plastic pollution studies in order to form a complete knowledge map for plastic pollution on a global scale. Spanning 49 years, from 1974 to 2023, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the history of plastic pollution research. It collates a vast array of academic findings in this field, drawing together fragmented knowledge to form a complete map of the global research on plastic pollution. This study offers an effective tool for scholars and policymakers to understand the current status, major topics, and future trends of global plastic pollution research.

2. Methodology

2.1. Research Framework

The research framework for this study is illustrated in Figure 1. We begin by placing plastic pollution in the context of the current research, reviewing the relevant literature, and outlining the three main objectives of this investigation. Considering the established goals and recent advancements in bibliometric methodologies, we highlight the technical capabilities and theoretical significance of the R-tool for scientometrics, clarifying the analytical goals. When selecting our methodology, we expanded the dataset to include both the WOS and Scopus databases, enhancing our results’ representativeness and comprehensiveness. Finally, the data processing steps are detailed, ensuring the coherence and logical flow of this work.

2.2. Data

For data collection, the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus were utilized, and the search formula used was “TS = plastic pollution or white pollution”. The data retrieval from the literature was conducted in May 2023. The data processing steps are outlined in Table 1. The first step involved data retrieval and download, yielding 3452 entries related to plastic pollution from the Web of Science Core Collection and 4543 from Scopus. In the second step, the data formats were harmonized using the R-tool, converting the TXT format of the Web of Science data and the BibTeX format of the Scopus data into the EXCEL format. The third step entailed merging the two datasets, evaluating the significance of the data from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus, and combining the two data types. The fourth step involved overall data cleaning, where unique identifiers such as titles and abstracts were used to remove duplicates and fill in missing values. After excluding duplicates and irrelevant literature, the final dataset consisted of 7899 entries related to plastic pollution research.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Progress in Global Plastic Pollution Research

3.1.1. Descriptive Analysis

The descriptive statistics for the selected global plastic pollution studies are presented in Figure 2. As indicated, these plastic pollution studies spanned the period of 1974 to 2023, representing a substantial period of 50 years. This highlights the prolonged impact of plastic pollution on the environment. Our search yielded 7899 research results covering 1476 categories of sources. Globally, 18,170 scholars were engaged in research on plastic pollution, with 15.69% of the studies featuring international co-authorships. Most plastic pollution research was output in the form of articles, amounting to 5778. Additionally, research papers comprised 73.12% of the total, demonstrating their significant contribution to the advancement of plastic pollution research.

3.1.2. Global Distribution

Figure 3 depicts the global distribution of the scientific research on plastic pollution. In this map, varying shades are used to indicate the intensity of the research activity, with darker colors signifying a higher concentration of research in specific countries or regions. It is found that 118 countries or regions worldwide are actively engaged in research addressing the challenges of plastic pollution. This research activity is uniformly spread across different regions. Notably, China leads the world, with 2058 publications, followed closely by the United States with 1622 publications. The United Kingdom (1135), Australia (804), Italy (774), India (724), and several other countries each contribute over 500 research publications in this field.

3.1.3. Global Distribution and Cooperation

Global cooperation among all nations is essential to tackle the challenges of plastic pollution. Thus, our focus should not only be on identifying the countries or regions that are conducting intensive research on plastic pollution, but also on understanding and enhancing the collaborative efforts and communication between these nations. Table 2 illustrates the extent of the global collaboration and communication in plastic pollution research. The data indicate that the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and Australia are at the forefront of global communication in plastic pollution research. Notably, the UK and Australia demonstrate the highest level of collaboration, having engaged in research exchanges 84 times. Following closely are the United States and the United Kingdom, with 58 instances of joint research. Additionally, significant collaborative efforts are observed between the United States, Canada, and China, each surpassing 50 instances of research exchange.

3.2. Bibliometric Analysis of Plastic Pollution Research

3.2.1. Publication and Citation Analysis

Figure 4 shows the trends in global plastic pollution research in terms of the numbers of publications and citations. As shown in the figure, the research published from 1974 to 2024 can be roughly divided into three phases. The first stage covers 1974 to 2007, which was a period of fewer publications and citations and marked the beginning of plastic pollution research. At this stage, researchers began to acknowledge the harm caused by plastic pollution. Plastic was widely regarded as a revolutionary material, recognized as having the advantages of being lightweight, strong, durable, and relatively inexpensive, and it was widely used in several fields. It was only over time that people began to realize the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and ecosystems, and related studies began to appear. For example, it was found that the extensive use of plastic products affects the survival of terrestrial wildlife and leads to the injury or death of marine species [19,20]. Moreover, plastic pollution extends to human products, posing health risks to humans themselves [21,22]. The second phase lasted from 2008 to 2019. In this phase, the number of publications began to grow, the number of citations began to fluctuate, and the research on plastic pollution entered a new period of development. At this time, the research mainly focused on the harm caused by plastic pollution to nature and improvements in the related detection technology. Media reports and social media enabled people to obtain information about plastic pollution, and the public’s concern for environmental issues continued to increase [23]. The techniques and methods adopted in scientific research improved significantly during this period, and the introduction of new instrumentation and experimental techniques enabled scientists to more accurately measure and analyze the extent and impacts of plastic pollution [24]. The third phase covered 2010 to 2024, in which the rapid growth in the number of publications and the frequency of plastic pollution research began. In this phase, the global awareness of this problem was further enhanced, and the research themes were extended through transnational cooperation regarding plastic pollution prevention and control. Specifically, many countries and international organizations began to formulate and implement policies and regulations regarding plastic pollution, and the international cooperation to solve this problem was strengthened, which jointly promoted an increase in research on plastic pollution and provided more support in addressing it. It is also worth noting that the average number of citations in phase III showed a downward trend, which may be attributed to the rapid growth in the number of articles published.

3.2.2. Authorship and Affiliations Distribution

According to the data from the Web of Science and Scopus, more than 18,170 scholars and 8619 institutions around the world are involved in research on plastic pollution. Due to space limitations, only the top 15 scholars and institutions are reported in Figure 5. The top scholars include Lavers JL, Hardesty BD, and Provencher JF, and the top institutions include the University of Exeter, University of Tasmania, and University of Aveiro. Regarding the scholars, Lavers JL has the most publications, with 76, and he is affiliated with the University of Tasmania, which is ranked second among the listed institutions. However, in terms of institutions, the University of Exeter is ranked first, with several 203 articles, but none of the global top 5 scholars in this field of research are from the University of Exeter. In summary, the major scholars in the field of plastic pollution research are mostly from renowned institutions in this field, but the opposite is not true. In addition, in terms of the top 3 scholars’ research areas, Lavers JL focuses primarily on multi-organ damage to seabirds due to large plastics and microplastics, while Hardesty BD focuses on the geographic distribution of plastic pollution, including the density of plastic debris and intra-area comparisons in Cape Town, Durban, Mombasa, and land-based and coastal sites in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Provencher JF focuses plastic pollution in Pusa hispida, Larus michahellis, and Arctic mammals, seabirds, fish, and invertebrates in Canada. In summary, these scholars’ research suggests that the extent and severity of the health impacts of plastic pollution may have been grossly underestimated.
To ensure the objectivity of the analysis, we incorporated an evaluation based on one of the three laws of bibliometrics, namely Lotka’s Law. Lotka’s Law posits that, as the volume of published articles increases, the number of researchers contributing many publications declines [25]. Additionally, a fixed ratio exists between the number of authors or researchers and the number of authors who have published a single article. Figure 6 presents the results of the Lotka’s Law test applied to plastic pollution research. It demonstrates that the ideal research output (indicated by the dashed line) closely aligns with the actual research output observed in this study (represented by the solid line). This correlation suggests that the results presented by the examined scholars in the global plastic pollution research are both representative and highly reliable.

3.2.3. Source Distribution

The sources of global plastic pollution research comprise a total of 1470 publications, covering a wide range of formats, such as journals and books. Figure 7 illustrates the top 10 sources of global plastic pollution research in terms of the number of articles published, including the Marine Pollution Bulletin, Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, the Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Environmental Science and Pollution Research. In terms of the number of articles, the Marine Pollution Bulletin leads, with 934 articles, indicating this journal’s influence and academic contribution to the field of plastic pollution. Other top-ranking journals, such as Science of the Total Environment and Environmental Pollution, also show high values, with 645 and 567 articles, respectively. Again, this demonstrates the academic importance of these journals in the field of environmental sciences. In terms of source quality, the top 10 journals are all SCI Q1 journals, which not only reflects the high quality of the research in this field but also highlights the academic status of these journals in terms of research on plastic pollution. SCI Q1 journals usually represent the most cutting-edge research in the field; thus, the academic level of global plastic pollution research is generally high. In particular, the Marine Pollution Bulletin, Science of the Total Environment, and Environmental Science and Pollution Research have long occupied an important position in the field of environmental pollution, reflecting the fact that plastic pollution, as a global problem, is attracting increasing attention and research.
It is also worth noting that, despite the large number of articles in these journals, there are some differences in their research directions and themes. For example, the Marine Pollution Bulletin focuses more on marine environmental pollution and ecosystem impacts, while Environmental Pollution covers a wider range of ecological pollution topics, including air, water, and soil pollution. These different research directions provide support for the multidimensional exploration of the global problem of plastic pollution. At the same time, the influence of these journals is also manifested in their citation volumes and the frequencies with which they are cited, further verifying the high level of attention given and the influence of global plastic pollution research. By analyzing the distribution of the sources, it can be seen that global plastic pollution research not only shows an increase in quantity but also maintains a high level of quality. The top 20 journals all possess a strong academic reputation, demonstrating the internationalization and high standard of the research in this field. In the future, as our understanding of plastic pollution deepens, more high-quality research results may be published in these journals, which will promote further academic progress in this field.
While comprehensive, our bibliometric analysis of the sources might only partially capture the most significant source types in plastic pollution research. To address this, and to validate the findings of the source analysis, we employ Bradford’s Law, known as one of the three quantitative aspects of bibliometrics, to identify the core sources within the plastic pollution literature [26]. Bradford’s Law suggests that articles on a specific topic are distributed unevenly across various journals. In particular, the journals in a field may be grouped into three categories based on the number of articles that they publish, with each category contributing roughly one-third of the total articles. In this case, the number of journals in each category will follow a 1: n: n2 distribution. As shown in Figure 8, the results of applying Bradford’s Law reveal that the top core sources include the Marine Pollution Bulletin, Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, the Journal of Hazardous Materials, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Frontiers in Marine Science, and Chemosphere, among others. This finding aligns with the results of the primary source analysis, thus confirming its validity.

3.3. Research Hotspot and Thematic Trend Analyses

3.3.1. Research Hotspot Analysis

The clustering analysis of keywords can be used to determine the research hotspots in a particular area. The topics of focus regarding global plastic pollution can be identified through word cloud analysis. In this study, the word cloud input result was set to Keywords Plus, the number of words was set to 50, and a research hotspot analysis was carried out. The results of the word cloud analysis are shown in Figure 9, and the size of the text in the figure represents the frequency of the keyword. The ten most popular hotspots around the world include plastic (2660), environmental monitoring (1943), plastic waste (1750), microplastics (1480), marine pollution (1402), and ecosystems (953). Based on the clustering of these keywords, it can be seen that the core topics of the current research are centered around life cycle management in plastic pollution, technology monitoring, and ecosystem protection [27]. Further analysis reveals that microplastics and plastic waste have been growing rapidly in recent years, which is closely related to the global plastic ban policy and the increased awareness of the need for environmental protection. In addition, a previous study found that global plastic pollution consists of plastics, microplastics, and marine pollution and that the main means of prevention is the use of technology for environmental protection and management [28,29]. It is worth noting that technologies also need to be continually evaluated. For example, some biodegradable plastic technologies do not completely biodegrade and instead produce more and smaller particles [30].

3.3.2. Thematic Trend Analysis

A thematic map facilitates the interpretation of research themes and the organization of these themes into four distinct quadrants, reflecting the evolutionary trends in a given area of research [31]. The first quadrant, referring to motor themes, resides in the high-centrality–high-density region, encompassing the themes that researchers have focused on consistently and over an extended period. The second quadrant, termed niche themes, lies in the high-centrality–low-density area, representing areas of future interest for researchers. The third quadrant, referring to emerging or declining themes, is found in the low-centrality–low-density region and includes themes that were once a focus but are now becoming marginalized as the research field progresses. The fourth quadrant, called basic themes, is situated in the low-centrality–high-density region and comprises the foundational themes of the field.
The results derived from the thematic map of global plastic pollution research are illustrated in Figure 10. This figure reveals that, since 1974, the themes in global plastic pollution research have primarily revolved around the first (motor themes) and third quadrants (emerging or declining themes). Specifically, the first and third quadrants contain two thematic clusters.
(1) Motor theme analysis.
The analysis of the motor themes focuses on the high-centrality–high-density area, representing the themes that researchers have studied regularly and over the long term. As delineated in Table 3, the global plastic pollution research encompasses two primary thematic categories.
The first category, labeled “plastic”, encompasses a range of topics, including plastics, environmental monitoring, plastic waste, marine pollution, and various aspects of plastic pollution. This thematic cluster is further divided into four levels, as summarized in previous studies [32]. This cluster involves plastic-related research, covering areas such as plastics, plastic waste, and pollution. The associated literature predominantly addresses the pollution caused by plastics and its various types. It includes environment-related research, focusing on environmental monitoring and marine pollution, particularly examining the impact of plastic pollution on marine and coastal environments [33]. Ecosystem-related studies are prominent, with topics such as ecosystems and marine ecosystems. Here, the literature examines how plastic pollution affects ecosystems, especially regarding biodiversity and the food chain. Lastly, geographic location-related studies form a significant part of this category, featuring areas such as the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific, and Australia. This research mainly investigates plastic pollution in these specific regions, highlighting particular cases. One is the Mediterranean Sea—a semi-enclosed sea where plastic waste accumulates, exerting severe impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal areas [34].
The second category, labeled “nonhuman”, comprises 53 subject words, including nonhuman, water pollutants, and chemicals. An in-depth analysis based on the previous literature was performed to categorize these 53 terms into three distinct levels [35]. This category encompasses animal survival research, which includes studies on birds, larvae, aquatic organisms, and marine species. The literature in this area primarily focuses on the effects of plastic pollution on such animals, with a particular emphasis on the release and accumulation of toxic substances. Water pollution-related research features terms such as water pollutants, chemicals, toxicity, bioaccumulation, and oxidative stress. This body of work examines the impact of plastic pollution on water bodies, detailing how aquatic organisms ingest harmful chemicals and microplastic particles from plastic waste and the subsequent oxidative stress caused by these pollutants. This category includes studies related to plastic treatment experiments, such as controlled and comparative studies, enzyme activity analyses, and gene expression studies. These studies aim to explore chemical and other methods of disintegrating or repurposing plastic waste products [36].
Overall, the hazards posed by plastic pollution and its treatment methods remain a long-standing focal point in plastic pollution research. Future scientific research and innovation are essential in discovering viable solutions to the plastic pollution crisis, thereby contributing to sustainable plastic management and environmental protection. Furthermore, plastic pollution represents a global challenge, requiring collective responsibility. Through international and regional cooperation, countries can collaboratively develop action plans and objectives, striving to mitigate the effects of plastic pollution and safeguard the Earth’s environment.
(2) Emerging or declining theme analysis.
Emerging or declining themes represent a low-centrality–low-density region, which brings together themes that researchers once focused on but have been gradually marginalized over time and as the field of research has evolved and progressed. The cluster label is microplastics. This cluster of themes includes terms such as microplastics, pollution, debris, ingestion, sea, fish, plastic debris, polymer, polyethylene, microplastic pollution, and 61 other subject terms. Combining these with the results obtained in the previous literature, it is found that these 61 subject terms are mainly related to five levels. The first is the type of plastic pollutant, including microplastics, debris, litter, fibers, organic pollutants, etc. The relevant literature mainly discusses these different types of plastic pollutants, such as microplastics, which can enter the water body through cosmetics, washing machine emissions, the decomposition of plastic garbage, etc., and may be accidentally ingested by marine organisms, causing death [37], and can also cause damage to human tissues, such as the liver [38]. The second is seabird survival. Considering seabirds, marine animals, fish, etc., relevant studies explore the impacts of plastic pollution on seabirds. Seabirds often mistake plastic debris for food and ingest it, resulting in negative health effects and even death. Seabird mortality is often used as an indicator of plastic pollution in marine ecosystems [39,40]. The third theme is plastic pollution management, including management, identification, transport, etc. The relevant literature most notably examines strategies for the management and mitigation of plastic pollution, involving measures such as waste management, recycling, reductions in plastic consumption, and the implementation of policies and regulations to control plastic pollution [41]. The fourth theme concerns the related identification techniques, including spectroscopy and sediment analysis. The relevant literature mainly considers the application of spectroscopic techniques to analyze and identify the chemical compositions of plastic particles, as well as the use of sediment samples to analyze and understand the extent, distribution, and long-term impact of plastic pollution [42].
In general, the study of the different forms of plastic pollution and the relevant identification techniques used to be of major interest in the field of plastic pollution research, but it is no longer a major focus. The main reason for this is that, over the past few decades, much progress has been made in basic research on the forms of plastic pollution and its identification techniques. Researchers have established methods of categorizing and identifying different types of plastic pollutants and have gained a preliminary understanding of their distribution and impacts on the environment. Therefore, future research may focus more on understanding the ecological effects, bioaccumulation, and ecological risks of plastic pollution.

4. Conclusions

In this study, based on the R-tool bibliometric analysis method, we integrated data from 7899 documents from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus and comprehensively analyzed the current status of global research on plastic pollution, identified the existing research gaps, and determined the thematic trends during the period of 1974 to 2024. Plastic pollution is a major challenge around the world, and an in-depth understanding of the global research dynamics is of great significance to effectively promote the prevention and control of plastic pollution. Future research on global plastic pollution should emphasize technological innovation, interdisciplinary research, and international cooperation and coordination. The prevention and control of plastic pollution requires a high degree of cooperation among countries at both the policy and technical levels, so as to establish a combined, global effort to tackle this environmental challenge.
This study indicated that 118 countries have participated in research on plastic pollution, with the main research centers being the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and Australia. In particular, there is frequent collaboration between the UK and Australia, followed closely by the US and the UK. Research on global plastic pollution focuses on five high-frequency themes: plastics, microplastics, environmental monitoring, plastic waste, and marine pollution. Research under these themes is mainly concerned with the prevention and control of plastic pollution, the environmental impacts of microplastics, the management of marine pollution, the protection of the environment, and the management of resources through technological means.
The high quality of the global plastic pollution research is reflected both in the number of articles published and in the quantity of citations and the journals’ impacts. The top 10 journals are all at the SCI Q1 level, indicating that research in this area has a strong academic impact. The University of Tasmania, University of Aveiro, and University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are ranked among the top institutions in terms of the number of publications in this area, while Lavers JL, Hardesty BB, Provencher JF, and other scholars are at the global forefront in terms of their G_Index rankings.
In future research on plastic pollution, the following directions should be emphasized. (1) Technological innovation and alternative materials: The prevention and control of plastic pollution cannot be achieved without technological innovation, especially in reducing the use of plastics and improving their degradability and recycling efficiency. The development of environmentally friendly, alternative materials, the design of degradable plastic products, and the upgrading of recycling and reuse technologies will be key. (2) The integrated management of the plastic life cycle: Plastic pollution involves the entire life cycle, from production and use to disposal and recycling. Future research should pay more attention to its comprehensive analysis, exploring the environmental impacts of each stage of the life cycle and the corresponding solutions, rather than being limited to a single treatment method for a certain stage. (3) Transnational cooperation and policy coordination: Plastic pollution is a global problem that cannot be solved independently by a single country or region. Therefore, international cooperation is crucial. In the future, countries should strengthen their information sharing, technology exchange, and resource coordination to jointly tackle plastic pollution. International cooperation can not only promote technological innovation but also provide a common framework for the prevention and control of global plastic pollution through the formulation of unified policy standards.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.Y., X.H. and F.T.; methodology, J.Y. and F.T.; formal analysis, J.Y. and F.T.; investigation, J.Y. and F.T.; writing—original draft preparation, J.Y. and F.T.; writing—review and editing, J.Y., X.H. and F.T.; visualization, J.Y., X.H. and F.T.; funding acquisition, X.H. and F.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by the Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China (19YJCZH055), and by Scientific Research Project of Hunan Provincial Department of Education (23A0676).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgments

We thank four anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Figure 1. Framework for bibliometric analysis of global plastic pollution research.
Figure 1. Framework for bibliometric analysis of global plastic pollution research.
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Figure 2. Descriptive statistics for global plastic pollution research.
Figure 2. Descriptive statistics for global plastic pollution research.
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Figure 3. Country-wide scientific production regarding global plastic pollution.
Figure 3. Country-wide scientific production regarding global plastic pollution.
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Figure 4. Annual scientific production and average citations regarding global plastic pollution.
Figure 4. Annual scientific production and average citations regarding global plastic pollution.
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Figure 5. The most relevant authors and institutions in global plastic pollution research.
Figure 5. The most relevant authors and institutions in global plastic pollution research.
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Figure 6. Author productivity determined through Lotka’s Law test.
Figure 6. Author productivity determined through Lotka’s Law test.
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Figure 7. The most relevant sources in global plastic pollution research.
Figure 7. The most relevant sources in global plastic pollution research.
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Figure 8. Core sources according to Bradford’s Law.
Figure 8. Core sources according to Bradford’s Law.
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Figure 9. Word cloud analysis of global plastic pollution research.
Figure 9. Word cloud analysis of global plastic pollution research.
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Figure 10. Thematic map of global plastic pollution research.
Figure 10. Thematic map of global plastic pollution research.
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Table 1. Data processing steps.
Table 1. Data processing steps.
Steps ObjectiveWeb of ScienceScopus
Data
Acquisition		Extracting Plastic
Pollution Research Literature Data		Export of 3452 data entries retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection;
Literature export format: TXT		Export of 4543 data entries retrieved from Scopus.
Literature export format: BibTeX
Format
Harmonization		Formatting dataUniform formatting of TXT data exported from Web of Science Core Collection into EXCEL format through R-tool.Uniformly format the BibTeX data exported from Scopus into EXCEL format through R-tool, and merge the two into one EXCEL data.
Data
Merging		Merge Wos with
Scopus databases		Confirm the meaning of Web of Science and Scopus field
identification codes, and merge 7995 data entries.
Examples of character identifiers:
TS = Topic, TI = Title, AU = Author, AB = Abstract, etc.
Data
cleaning		Ensuring Data
Availability		Cleaned, supplemented, and corrected 7995 merged data entries based on unique identifiers such as title and abstract.
Finally, 7899 data entries of plastic pollution studies were obtained.
Table 2. Collaboration among different countries in global plastic pollution research.
Table 2. Collaboration among different countries in global plastic pollution research.
No.FromToFrequencyNo.FromToFrequency
1UKAustralia8412ChinaUK25
2USAUK5813GermanyNetherlands25
3USACanada5114UKCanada25
4ChinaUsa5015UKFrance25
5USAAustralia4916ChinaCanada24
6UKNetherlands3817SpainPortugal24
7UKGermany3418AustraliaNew Zealand23
8AustraliaCanada2919ChinaAustralia23
9USAGermany2920ChinaGermany23
10USAFrance2821GermanyNorway23
11USANetherlands2622ItalySpain23
Table 3. Interpretation of research themes regarding plastic pollution.
Table 3. Interpretation of research themes regarding plastic pollution.
QuadrantThematicLabelCluster
Quadrant ⅠMotor ThemesPlasticPlastics, Environmental Monitoring, Plastic Waste, Article, Marine Pollution, Plastic Pollutions, Ecosystem, Marine Environment, Waste, Marine Debris, Water Pollution, Mediterranean Sea, River Pollution, Waste Products, Sea Pollution, Beaches, Ecosystems, Seashore, River, Rivers, Procedures, Pollution Monitoring, Biodiversity, Atlantic Ocean, Coastal Waters, Pacific Ocean, Marine Litter, Seawater, Australia, Sea Water, Microplastic, Fisheries, Estuary, Quantitative Analysis, Beach, United States, Brazil, Marine Plastics, India, Oceans And Seas, Spain, Solid Waste, Urban Area, Coastal Zone, Pollutant Transport, Spatial Distribution, Pollutant Source, Geographic Distribution, Swimming, Seasonal Variation, Water Quality, Bathing Beaches, Environmental Factor, Oceanography, Indian Ocean, Marine Ecosystem, Estuaries, Fishing, Canada, United Kingdom, Citizen Science, Environmental Impact Assessment, Hydrodynamics, Prevalence, Coral Reef
NonhumanNonhuman, Water Pollutant, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Controlled Study, Animals, Animal, Toxicity, Bioaccumulation, Chemistry, Unclassified Drug, Metabolism, Fresh Water, Oxidative Stress, Analysis, Polystyrene, Nano plastics, Eating, Environmental Exposure, Nano plastic, Seabird, Pollution Effect, Female, Pollution Exposure, Additives, Animal Tissue, Pollutant, Male, Birds, Nanoparticle, Ecotoxicology, Food Chain, Gastrointestinal Tract, Nanoparticles, Ingestion Rate, Polystyrene Derivative, Growth, Adult, Animal Experiment, Marine Biology, Bird, Ecotoxicity, Comparative Study, Enzyme Activity, Gene Expression, Environmental Pollutants, Larva, Aquatic Organisms, Leaching, Freshwater Environment, Biochemistry, Marine Species, Aquatic Species
Quadrant ⅢEmerging Or Declining ThemesMicroplasticsMicroplastics, Pollution, Debris, Ingestion, Sea, Fish, Plastic Debris, Water, Accumulation, Environment, Marine-Environment, Litter, Sediments, Particles, Contamination, Abundance, Surface Waters, Exposure, Transport, Zooplankton, Identification, Impacts, Impact, Behavior, Marine, Fresh-Water, Fibers, Organic Pollutants, Seabirds, Management, Polymer, Polyethylene, Microplastic Pollution, Particle Size, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Polypropylenes, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Concentration (Composition), Sediment, Concentration (Parameter), Polymers, Polyethylene Terephthalates, Chemical Composition, Polyvinylchloride, Plastic Bottles, Polyester, Surface Water, Lakes, Chemical Analysis, Spectroscopy, Polyamide, Sewage, Fitr Spectroscopy, Weathering, Microplastic Particles, Chlorine Compounds, Infrared Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Polyvinyl Chlorides, Geologic Sediments
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Yang, J.; Hu, X.; Tan, F. The Mapping of Global Plastic Pollution Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Progress and Thematic Trends. Sustainability 2025, 17, 1859. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051859

AMA Style

Yang J, Hu X, Tan F. The Mapping of Global Plastic Pollution Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Progress and Thematic Trends. Sustainability. 2025; 17(5):1859. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051859

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yang, Jun, Xiaomei Hu, and Fenglong Tan. 2025. "The Mapping of Global Plastic Pollution Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Progress and Thematic Trends" Sustainability 17, no. 5: 1859. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051859

APA Style

Yang, J., Hu, X., & Tan, F. (2025). The Mapping of Global Plastic Pollution Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Progress and Thematic Trends. Sustainability, 17(5), 1859. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051859

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