A Decade Of Research On Trends Microplastics In Human Blood And Faeces: Insights From Bibliometric Analysis And Future Directions

Abstract

Microplastic exposure in the human body is a critical issue that has become a primary environmental concern. This exposure occurs through consuming plastic-contaminated food (such as seafood, vegetables, salt, and rice), water, cosmetics, chewing gum, and instant food or beverages, where human contact with plastic particles is both direct and vulnerable. The possible health hazards of microplastic exposure, particularly chronic diseases caused by plastic particles, require significant attention. The increasing exposure to microplastics Has driven researchers and scholars to continue innovating and developing scientific strategies in response to this emerging trend. This bibliometric analysis aims to examine the trends in publications on microplastic exposure in human blood and faeces based on publications from 2014 to 2024 (the past decade), evaluate the role of international collaborations in different journals, determine the most impactful authors and articles, and forecast the future progression of this research area (as future directions). Method. This study includes 45 documents (35 articles, nine reviews, and one book chapter), with 22 additional articles identified through trend mining on the past decade of microplastic studies in humans. These articles were gathered from the Scopus database, processed through Tableau analysis, and analyzed using VosViewer software. Results. We found that human microplastic exposure has increased significantly over the past decade. This  indicates that the topic remains of high interest. Regarding the most significant contribution, China has authored the most publications related to this topic. Commonly used keywords include "(Microplastics OR nanoplastic) AND (Blood OR faeces OR stool OR placenta OR "breast milk" OR meconium) AND Human -tapir -crab -gull -rat -animal -fish -oyster -scallop -enviromental - water -obstetric -algae -fossil -index". In Summary. In sum, it is a crucial source for assessing the current research landscape developments, sampling methods, and future research directions.