Heliyon (Feb 2024)

An overview of air pollution research in Chile: Bibliometric analysis and scoping review, challenger and future directions

  • Loreto Villacura,
  • Luis Felipe Sánchez,
  • Francisco Catalán,
  • Richard Toro A,
  • Manuel A. Leiva G

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 3
p. e25431

Abstract

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This study provides a comprehensive overview and bibliometric analysis of air pollution research in Chile from 1980 to 2022. The analysis reveals a significant increase in scientific production, a 9.2 annual growth rate, and an H-index of 60. The research spans 33 countries and is influenced by environmental sciences, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences journals. The top ten authors account for 33.49 % of all publications, with local institutions contributing more than 35 %. The University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile are significant contributors. The most cited articles focus on health impacts and various pollutant sources, emphasizing air pollution as a critical public health concern. The study also emphasizes environmental science, meteorology, and atmospheric science, focusing on topics such as air pollution and health, pollutants, models, sources and chemistry, and social sciences. The findings are affirmed through rigorous discussion and review, providing a roadmap for future research, guiding decision-making processes, and expanding the knowledge frontier in the field.

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