Bibliometric analysis and scientific trends on perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as an emerging pollutant

Abstract

The persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), along with their concentrations in the environment and humans, have attracted global attention. However, so far, there have been seldom reports providing a systematical review in the entire field of PFASs research. Therefore, this study summarizes 14,112 relevant publications (2005–2022) and conducts bibliometric analysis using Vosviewer and CiteSpace. The findings offer insights into global PFASs research trends, assisting scientists in establishing their research directions. Unlike traditional literature reviews, this article presents a new method for data collection and analysis that achieves quantitative visualization of the information from the past 18 years in the field of PFASs. Results show a significant increase in global PFASs publications, with China leading in publication output and the US in international collaborations. Author Kurunthachalam Kanna has the highest publication records. Document co-citation clustering and key line analysis identifies four major research areas and landmarks, while betweenness centrality analysis reveals developmental processes. Citation burst analysis finds that PFASs toxicity and monitoring have been hot areas, suggesting the need for greater attention towards the types and levels of PFASs in various environmental media and the removal processes of PFASs responsible for pollution, which may emerge as future research hotspots.