Bibliometric Analysis of Articles Published in The Scopus Database In 2019-2021 Pertaining to The Problem of Heavy Metals

Abstract

Soil and nature contamination by heavy metals resulting from increased anthropogenic pressure associated with industry and agriculture poses a severe threat to environmental ecosystems and human populations. This study aims to assess and analyze the problem of heavy metal contamination using bibliometric methods to contribute to the evolution of knowledge about the ecological, economic, and social impacts of heavy metals. The methodical process included: (I) selection and analysis of search topics in Scopus and databases; (II) application of Bibliometric and Visualization of Similarity Viewer (VOSviewer) programs to the data collected; (III) consideration of the scientific structure of the relationship between the topics of heavy metals, their sub-themes, and program areas; (IV) Literature review on author keywords. 817 articles were selected, and the most cited country, institution, and authors analyzed articles and journals. At the country level, China had the highest number of contributions from authors. The most popular research topic keywords were "heavy metals" and "soil pollution," with cadmium being the most highly researched heavy metal. This study provides further understanding of heavy metal pollution trends, and the analyzed data can guide future research directions.